PNP colonel, 2 other cops ordered dismissed

A police superintendent accused in the killing of a young man in Cavite on Christmas Day of 2005 and two other policemen were ordered dismissed from the service, a statement from the Philippine National Police said Tuesday. At the same time, PNP chief Director General Oscar Calderon said four other policemen would be demoted one-rank lower and seven others and a civilian employee would be suspended for various administrative offenses since the start of the year. "All our efforts to transform the organization will go to naught if we will not reform from within," Calderon said, adding that "the PNP leadership offers no compromise with any breach of discipline and misconduct." On the recommendation of Director Geary Barias, PNP Director for Investigation and Detective Management, Calderon approved the summary dismissal of Superintendent Mamerto Poblete, Senior Police Officer 1 Salvador Furing, Police Officer 1 Daniel Nadurata and Non-Uniformed Personnel Prisca Ramos, Imelda Gacute and Amalia Alvarado. "This is part of the PNP leadership's continuing internal reform program. This is meant to show that we are serious in ridding our ranks of misfits and undesirable personnel," Barias, who is concurrent commander of PNP Task Force USIG said. Poblete was believed to be drunk when he killed Jilbert Javier in front of a variety store in VFL Subdivision, San Rafael III, Noveleta, Cavite on Dec. 25, 2005. Investigation showed Poblete was talking with the victim when he suddenly grabbed the latter prompting the victim to raise his arms in surrender. The officer then pistol-whipped the victim and was pointing his loaded caliber .45 pistol at the victim's head when it suddenly went off. A member of Police Regional Office 4-A, Poblete quickly fled on foot and days after surrendered to his superiors. He claimed he was attacked by the victim whom he said was a known drug pusher in their community, but a DIDM investigation showed otherwise. Furing was dismissed for going on AWOL for 139 days while on detail with the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA), while Nadurata was fired for killing a young man in Tondo, Manila on Oct. 12, 2005 for no apparent reason before escaping. NUP Ramos and Gacute were fired from government service for claiming an unauthorized Longevity Pay while Alvarado was fired for accepting money to facilitate the stopping of loan deductions of another policeman. Meted one-rank demotion were Supt. Robert Santos of the Eastern Police District's Traffic Enforcement Group for acts of lasciviousness, SPO1 Gregorio Filomeno for non-payment of just debt, SPO2 Miguelito Catan of the PNP Communications and Electronics Service for falsification of public documents when he was found to have submitted fake Civil Service Commission professional eligibility as part of his promotional requirements, and PO2 Samuel Rebancos for his failure to attend court duties. Given 180-days suspension were Supt. Jerry Valeroso for grave misconduct, Senior Inspector Marlon Catan for damage to property, SPO3 Carolina Mendiola for indiscriminate firing of gun and damage to property on Jan. 29, 2005, and NUP Sol Bargan for issuing fake gun safety seminar certificates. PO1 Hope Azucenas was meted a 90-day suspension for non-payment of just debt. Inspector Jose Punzalan and SPO1 Maureen Lapitan were meted 30-days suspension for negligence of duty along with Inspector Randolf Diones who was given a similar 30-day suspension for abandoning his post on Sept. 12, 2004. Santos was given a one-rank demotion from superintendent to chief inspector for sexual assault on a woman-complainant. An investigation showed that by means of force, violence, threats and intimidation, Santos forced the complainant to undress and sexually molested her inside the TEG's office in Pasig City on July 11, 2005. Catan was found to have failed in his promise to pay for the damages he made when he crashed his car on three vehicles in Cabuyao, Laguna while under the influence of liquor on May 24, 2004. "These disciplinary actions manifest the decisiveness of the PNP leadership in dealing with erring police personnel," Barias said. - GMANews.TV