At least six policemen assigned to the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) have been placed under restrictive custody and charged with multiple criminal offenses after P13 million went missing from the P141.1 million seized in a raid on a Philippine Offshore Gaming Operator (POGO) hub in Bataan last year.
They now face not only dismissal from the service but also possible jail time.
A total of P141.1 million in cash was confiscated from the POGO hub in October last year.
When the court later ruled the operation illegal and ordered the police to return the money, Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Jonvic Remulla said an inventory revealed that P13 million was missing.
“Out of the P141 million, only P128 million was left. What’s left in the other box was boodle money,” Remulla said in a press briefing at Camp Crame.
He added that investigators had already identified eight members involved in the cover-up and pilferage of evidence.
Police Maj. Gen. Robert Alexander Morico II explained that the case stemmed from the Oct. 29 raid conducted by CIDG operatives and agents of the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC) on an alleged POGO hub in Bataan, under a search warrant for possible qualified human trafficking violations.
The raid yielded P141,133,483 in cash, which was kept at the CIDG for safekeeping.
When Morico assumed leadership of the CIDG in September this year, he ordered an inventory of all evidence under custody.
On Sept. 25, the newly designated evidence custodian discovered nine boxes of cash missing from the list.
These boxes were later found to have been taken home by the former custodian, then returned sealed under the judge’s sign.
On Nov. 19, the court declared the search illegal and ordered the CIDG to return the seized money.
During the turnover inventory, it was discovered that one box had been tampered with—its P13 million replaced with boodle money typically used in buy-bust operations.
The investigation revealed that a rookie policeman admitted the group had divided the missing amount among themselves.
While six policemen were named, the probe expanded to include two more, including a police lieutenant colonel who had taken the boxes home.
On Nov. 29, Morico said criminal charges were filed against the six policemen, including qualified theft, malversation of public funds, opening of closed documents, falsification of public documents, and illegal possession or use of false treasury notes.
Administrative cases for grave misconduct, serious dishonesty, and violation of PNP evidence-handling protocols are also being prepared.
PNP chief Lt. Gen. Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr. stressed that returning the stolen money would not absolve the policemen of liability.
“It will not diminish the act or erase the act. Damage has been done,” he said.
National Police Commission vice chairman Ralph Calinisan echoed this, saying confession or restitution cannot undo the crime.
“You are criminally and administratively liable for doing what you have done,” he said, emphasizing the gravity of the offense as it involved betrayal of trust as custodians of evidence. (Aaron Recuenco)
