Robbery prompts crackdown on use of PNP uniform in Cebu

Following a violent P1-million heist that left one security guard dead, the regional police and the Cebu City government have started to crack down on “unauthorized" police uniforms in the city. Sun-Star Cebu (sunstar.com.ph) reported Wednesday that city Mayor Tomas Osmeña also asked residents to be on guard against strangers in their communities. Osmeña issued the directive on the clampdown following a robbery in a distribution company’s compound in Basak San Nicolas village last Monday. The robbery, which left a security guard dead and some P1 million in cash missing, involved men wearing police uniforms who claimed to be inspecting the site. Vice mayor Michael Rama told the police to wear their complete uniforms at all times and be strict against crime volunteers and barangay tanods wearing police uniforms. Rama, who heads City Hall’s police coordinating and advisory council, also instructed the local police to be strict against volunteers wearing even shirts marked “police." The Central Visayas regional police office and the Cebu City Police Office started strictly implementing the law prohibiting civilians from wearing police uniforms or shirts. Regional police director Chief Supt. Silverio Alarcio Jr. warned civilians against wearing uniforms or T-shirts and clothes with markings of the Philippine National Police. He said anybody, including the anti-crime volunteers, civilians and barangay tanods who are found wearing shirts with police markings, will be questioned or arrested. Charges may also be filed against them, he said. Acting CCPO head Sr. Supt. Patrocinio Comendador added he had created a monitoring team composed of the CCPO’s operations section and the Mobile Patrol Group to check on civilians who are found wearing shirts with PNP marks. He said that under the Revised Penal Code unauthorized used of police uniforms by civilians can be charged with usurpation of authority. The Commission on Elections has also issued a directive against the unauthorized used of uniforms of the law enforcers. Comendador said the CCPO will also coordinate with the local government units in implementing the law as most of those wearing shirts with PNP markings are members of barangay police. Rama, on the other hand, noted that anybody could wear police uniforms, specifically the blue shirt parked “police" or military outfits like fatigue cargo pants and shirts marked “AFP." Rama said that tanods have their own uniforms, but they wear shirts marked “barangay police," with the word “barangay" printed in small letters, and the word “police" in large print. The vice mayor said that the police should also wear their complete uniform. This way, non-policemen masquerading as law enforcers could be immediately identified. Meanwhile, Rama said he had asked PNP headquarters in Camp Crame to assign additional policemen to CCPO, adding that the robbers apparently took advantage of the absence of the field training policemen (FTP) from Mindanao. Over 400 FTPs were sent to Cebu City to augment security for the 12th Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) summit last Jan. 11 to 15. Most have gone back to their mother units. In another development, investigators looking into Monday’s robbery pointed to the slain guard as the “mole," saying he became the victim of the gang’s double cross. Cebu City Police Office theft section head Sr. Insp. Alexis Relado said Edgar Embolode Sr., 33, the security guard shot dead by one of the five robbers, opened the gate for the robbers and allowed their gray Toyota Lite-Ace van to enter the compound. Relado said Embolode knew what key will open the main door of the administrative office. The robbers knew they had to open a huge vault and brought with them equipment to do so. He added Embolode also requested that he be transferred to a night shift from November last year to January this year. Relado said he has asked the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) to conduct a background check on Embolode. However, he said police investigators are also looking into the angle that disgruntled employees may have also helped in the robbery. Embolode and security guard Edgardo Tabuigi were on nightshift duty when the five robbers arrived shortly before 1 a.m. last Monday. Tabuigi was injured in the incident. Relado said a sticker tag found in a backpack recovered at the scene shows that the robbers passed the Surigao City port, indicating that they are not “local boys." Found inside the backpack were two crowbars, a kitchen knife and an adjustable wrench. Also, Relado said Tabuigi will serve as a witness although he is not yet off the hook. “We have asked for his full cooperation in the investigation and required him to come to our office every day," Relado said. Tabuigi was earlier made to under a lie detector test and paraffin exam to determine if he had fired his service .38-caliber revolver. The gun used by the robbers in killing Embolode was a 9-mm pistol based on the two empty shells found at the crime scene. The five robbers claimed to be policemen and members of “Magdalo." But Comendador said this was part of their tactic to mislead investigators. - GMANews.TV