PNP official: Cops in ‘hulidap’ incident also involved in other crimes

Some of the policemen implicated in the “hulidap” incident along Edsa were linked to other incidents and alleged crimes, a ranking police official said on Wednesday.

 

Based on the Philippine National Police’s internal investigation, one of the suspects was involved in a kidnapping incident while some allegedly participated in previous “hulidap” operations,  Eastern Police District Director Chief Superintendent Abelardo Villacorta told lawmakers Wednesday at the hearing of House committee on public order and safety regarding the incident.

 

"We already received some information that one of the police officers was involved in kidnapping, with P12 million [asked] from the victim... Some of the records also show they have also been involved in illegal anti-drug operations which turned out to be 'hulidap,'" he said.

 

Two of the 12 suspects had been nabbed in connection with kidnapping a victim along Edsa last week. Another one surrendered to authorities on Wednesday but denied involvement in the incident.

 

Chief Inspector Joseph De Vera, one of the police officers arrested, has admitted his involvement in the incident but claimed it was part of an anti-drug operation.

 

Authorities are still tracking down nine other suspects involved in the kidnapping, who are all said to be policemen.

 

“Hulidap,” a contraction of the words hold-up and "huli" (arrest), involves the kidnapping of a victim or victims made to look like an arrest by law enforcers, who then extort money from their prey. 

The "hulidap" incident along EDSA caught the attention of the media and PNP after a netizen uploaded a photograph of the kidnapping on Twitter last September 1.

 

‘Deteriorating standards’

 

At the hearing, Cebu Rep. Gwendolyn Garcia asked the PNP to look into the possibility that the cops involved in the Edsa kidnapping incident are part of a larger syndicate considering they were able to execute the crime swiftly and smoothly in public.

 

"The way it was done on broad daylight, on one of the busiest streets... it really makes you think that this is not a one-time thing. I would like to ask whether you've considered the possibility that this was done by a very well-coordinated group that we could call a syndicate," Garcia said.

 

Meanwhile, former PNP general and now Antipolo Rep. Romeo Acop expressed dismay at the “seemingly deteriorating” standards of discipline within the police force, as more uniformed personnel are implicated in crimes.

 

Pangasinan Rep. Leopoldo Bataoil, a former PNP director, urged the police leadership not only to strictly enforce discipline among the rank and file, but also set a good example for their subordinates.

 

“If the leaders are not so conscious about their duties and responsibilities, those down the line—the junior officers—will likewise [be] relaxed and will go wayward,” he said.  — ELR, GMA News