Four cops under probe for PNP recruitment scam

By Glazyl Y. Masculino

BACOLOD City – Four personnel of the Bacolod City Police Office (BCPO) were relieved from their current posts, pending the investigation of their alleged implication in the P15-million PNP recruitment scam in La Castellana, Negros Occidental.

Colonel Noel Aliño, BCPO director, in a media interview yesterday, said that these police officers surrendered their firearms while they were being investigated to determine their alleged involvement in the case.

A non-uniformed personnel (NUP) assigned to the BCPO was also implicated in the said incident.

Aliño said that he learned that the incident started in 2016 until last year.

The alleged scam involved asking PNP aspirants hundreds of thousands of pesos in exchange for an assured spot in the police.

“Ang allegations kasi nakasama sa kainan. Medyo mahirap iyon. Ang operations nila may mag-rerecruit para mapadali ang pagiging police officer,” Aliño said.

He, however, did not elaborate pending the investigation of the Provincial Internal Affairs Service (PIAS).

“Allegedly may involved na police. Right now mahirap kasi faceless and nameless. Hindi ako makapagbigay pa ng statement kasi ongoing pa ang investigation,” he said, as he stressed that they are not tolerating it.

“It’s time na matapos na ito. Kawawa naman ang police puro allegations. Dapat iyong burden of proof manggaling sa kanila para ma clear nila ang side nila. Kung sino may kasalanan, pagdusahan niya,” Aliño said, as he noted that a fair and just investigation will be conducted on this matter.

Aliño said that he would implement whatever the outcome of the investigation.

For his part, Police Executive Master Sergeant Randy Bando, officer-in-charge of PIAS, said that they have started investigating the incident after the BCPO acquired jurisdiction on the said matter.

Bando said that they have already submitted a report to the Police Regional Office (PRO)-6 informing them about it.

Bando said they are just waiting for the result of the investigation of the BCPO so that the PIAS can conduct a motu proprio investigation if proven that there are police officers involved in the said incident.

Meanwhile, according to Police Captain Judesses Catalogo, public information officer of Negros Occidental Police Provincial Office (Nocppo), 11 out of 47 complainants have already filed criminal complaints for large-scale estafa against a town councilor and his female companion regarding the incident.

Catalogo said that three more cases will be filed next week against the two suspects.

He also said that there are no Nocppo personnel that were linked in the incident, as of now.

Councilor Donato “Natnat” Dumaguit and a woman were tagged in the incident after several complainants recently showed up.

Dumaguit was accused of allegedly mulcting money from the victims of about P247,000 each in exchange for an assured slot in the PNP.

La Castellana municipal council has urged Dumaguit to show up, as he had missed three regular sessions and two special sessions after he was tagged in the alleged recruitment scam.

Dumaguit, however, informed the SB secretary by text that he would not attend the session because of fear for his life.