IF there’s a contest for Best Quotation of the Year, these words uttered by an angry National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) Chief, Police Maj. Gen. Vicente D. Danao Jr., should be 2021’s runaway winner. They were castigating words addressed to police scalawags arrested for stealing P30 million from a couple in Pasig City, but they had a reassuring effect on us, ordinary citizens. Danao’s words reflect what kind of discipline he wants to instill into his organization in pursuit of ethical behavior. And his message is clear: “We are policemen,” sworn to serve the community, protect the people and maintain peace and order. “We are not robbers,” we don’t abuse our authority; we don’t steal. Period.
The PNP’s work is rarely presented to the public in a positive light. And we want to take this opportunity to commend and congratulate the responding members of the Pasig City police force who nabbed four active-duty Taguig City policemen that reportedly stole over P30 million in cash from a Japanese national and his Filipina live-in partner in Pasig City at midnight on Saturday. The scalawags in uniform made it appear that they are conducting an anti-illegal drugs operation.
Danao was fuming mad when the suspects were presented to him, knowing that these cops have impaired the credibility of the PNP’s campaign on illegal drugs. “We are policemen; we are not robbers!” Danao hollered, as he reminded them that they couldn’t conduct such an operation without a search warrant.
Investigation showed that the suspects entered the house of the victims in Brgy. Kapitolyo in Pasig City around 12:10 a.m. on December 18 for alleged violation of Republic Act 9165. However, after ransacking the house, they did not arrest the couple, and instead cleared out in haste, riding two motorcycles and taking with them P30 million in cash and an iPhone13 Promax worth P100,000 (Read, ‘We’re cops, not robbers!’ NCRPO chief fumes as 4 policemen rob Japanese man in Pasig, in the BusinessMirror, December 18, 2021).
After the suspects fled, the victims quickly ran outside the house to ask for help. “Fortunately, they saw a police nearby who immediately called for assistance and our Pasig policemen immediately responded,” said Danao, who commended the Pasig City police for their quick action.
Responding policemen from Pasig City arrested Police Staff Sergeant Jayson Bartolome, Police Corporal Merick Desoloc, PCpl Christian Jerome Reyes, and Patrolman Pat Kirk Joshua Almojera. A civilian, identified as John Carlo Atienza, was found dead. Danao said a manhunt operation is ongoing for two other suspects identified as Ferdinand Pallaria, a dismissed policeman, and Rowel Galan.
In 2018, President Duterte fulfilled his campaign promise to increase the salaries of cops and soldiers when he signed into law Congress Joint Resolution No. 1, s. 2018, which doubled the base pay of a Police Officer I in the Philippine National Police or a Private in the Armed Forces of the Philippines, and equivalent ranks in the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology, Bureau of Fire Protection, Philippine Public Safety College, Philippine Coast Guard, and the National Mapping and Resource Information Authority.
“Nakakaiyak lang, eh, naibigay namin lahat ng pondo na dapat at maaaring iparating, pinaparating ko na. Dinadagdagan ko nga para walang mangyari na ganito,” Danao lamented.
Our cops don’t always get any appreciation from the public for the dangerous work they do. We are lucky to have brave policemen like the members of the Pasig City police force that arrested their fellow active-duty policemen who committed the crime. We salute you, sirs! You are the kind of cops that this country needs. May your tribe increase. We are grateful for your dedication and hard work.