6 Manila cops arrested over alleged Makati robbery

Six police officers assigned to the Malate Police Station 9 were arrested Wednesday evening for their alleged involvement in a robbery hold-up incident in Makati City.

Based on a report from Makati City Police, the suspects were arrested during a hot pursuit operation along Arsonvel Street in Barangay San Isidro at 7:48 p.m.

The arrested suspects were identified as one police staff sergeant and five patrolmen.

According to the Makati police, one of the victims encountered two female individuals in Malate and went to Makati to retrieve their belongings. 

However, upon arriving at the location, the victim was confronted by a group of armed men.

The suspects allegedly pointed a gun at the victim, forced him to lie on the ground, tied his hands, and forcibly took his personal belongings before fleeing the area aboard motorcycles.

In a statement, the Manila Police District (MPD) said it is conducting a parallel probe into the incident.

The MPD secured pertinent documents, including the SDEU Coordination Form for the MPD area of responsibility dated January 28 and the Notice to Explain issued to the immediate supervisor and the arrested personnel.

"We assure the public that erring police officers will not be tolerated. Appropriate charges will be filed, and this matter will be elevated to the proper authorities,” MPD chief Brigadier General Arnold Abad said.

Operation?

Interviewed on Super Radyo dzBB, National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) chief Police Major General Anthony Aberin said the six cops reportedly carried out an anti-drug operation outside their official area of responsibility without proper coordination with Makati authorities.

“Based po sa investigation natin ay may operation sila pero ang problema po ay lumabas po sila doon sa [area of responsibility] po nila at wala pong coordination po doon sa Makati kung saan sila pumunta,” Aberin said.

(Based on our investigation, they had an operation, but the problem is that they went out of their area of responsibility, and there was no coordination with Makati Police.)

“At saka yung in-operate nila is taga-Makati po eh. Hindi po dapat sila pumupunta doon. If ever may operation man sila doon sa Makati,” he added. 

(And then subjects of their operation are from Makati. They shouldn’t have gone there if they ever had an operation there in Makati.)

The commander and members of the drug enforcement unit of Malate Police Station have been relieved from their posts amid the investigation, Super Radyo dzBB’s Christian Maño reported. —VAL/VBL, GMA Integrated News