Admin charges vs. cops in Fabel Pineda rape-slay case not dismissed —Cascolan

Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Police General Camilo Pancratius Cascolan on Monday denied that the administrative charges filed against two cops allegedly involved in the rape-slay case of 15-year-old Fabel Pineda in Ilocos Sur have been dismissed.

At a press briefing, Cascolan said there has been false information circulating over social media that the charges against Police Staff Sergeants Randy Ramos and Marawi Torda were dismissed.

"I would like to debunk another patently fake news circulating in social media on the supposed dismissal of admin cases against Police [Staff] Sergeant Randy Ramos and Police [Staff] Sergeant Marawi Torda both indicted in the murder of 15-year-old victim of sex crime in Ilocos Sur," Cascolan said at a press briefing.

Cascolan said the PNP Internal Affairs Service "has resolved the administrative case against the two respondents for conduct unbecoming of a police officer in the penalty of dismissal from the service."

"Both Ramos and Torda are also undergoing summary hearing for murder," Cascolan said.

During last week's budget hearing of the Department of the Interior and Local Government, Gabriela Women's party-list Representative Arlene Brosas asked Cascolan about this matter and the latter told her that he would check if the dismissal of charges was true.

Retired police general Archie Francisco Gamboa, former PNP chief, had ordered the PNP's Internal Affairs Service to immediately dismiss the police officers involved in the incident.  

Ramos and Torda were slapped with murder complaints before the Provincial Prosecutor of Ilocos Sur following the killing of Pineda in July.

Authroities said the teenager had filed a complaint against Torda for alleged acts of lasciviousness while Ramos was also accused of raping the victim’s 18-year-old cousin.

An iInitial information from the Cabugao Municipal Police Station showed the two girls were arrested over a curfew violation and were allegedly drunk when the cops supposedly attacked them. —KBK, GMA News