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2 cops allegedly serving as bodyguards of Chinese nat’l arrested after fight in posh subdivision
Two policemen supposedly deployed to Zamboanga who were instead serving as bodyguards to a Chinese national were arrested after an altercation inside an exclusive subdivision in Alabang, Muntinlupa City.
According to police, the two suspects were members of the Philippine National Police- Special Action Force ( PNP-SAF) who admitted they were working as personal bodyguards of a Chinese national residing in a subdivision in the Ayala Alabang area.
The two cops reportedly got into a heated argument that led to blows, with one of them sustaining wounds on his forehead.
The two men — a police corporal and a patrolman — were detained after being reported to authorities by residents that included Muntinlupa City Mayor Rozzano Rufino “Ruffy” Biazon. The incident was circulated in an online group chat of residents where the mayor is a part of.
“Nagkaroon yata sila ng altercation amongst themselves. Pareho silang empleyado ng naninirahan sa bahay, and then noong nagkatakbuhan, ‘yung isa yata pumasok sa ibang bahay so kaya natakot siyempre ‘yung residente roon,” Biazon said in an exclusive report on GMA’s 24 Oras Weekend on Sunday.
(There may have been an altercation amongst themselves. They are both employees of a resident and one of them may have entered another house which is why the residents became scared.)
The two men are now detained at the Muntinlupa City Police Station.
Biazon also said the local government will seek assistance to verify if the employer of the two policemen is connected to Philippine Offshore Gaming Operations (POGOs).
"Baka related din sa purely illegal activities. 'Yun din ang gusto naming malaman," the mayor said.
(This might be related to purely illegal activities. This is what we also want to know.)
“Nag-report lang po sa akin ‘yung dalawang driver na may nag-aaway po doon sa kanila. Tingin ko parang galit, pero nung sinabihan kong huminto, huminto naman agad siya,” Renz Antero, one of the guards of the subdivision, said in the same report.
(Two drivers reported there was a fight in the area. I think he was angry, but when I told them to stop, he stopped immediately.)
|The two individuals, however, denied that they got into a fistfight, with one of them saying in Tagalog that it was “not that serious” and the other saying that they were just initially joking around as they were close.
The duo is now being investigated as they were supposed to be currently deployed in Zamboanga.
“Sa ngayon po ay under investigation sa aming opisina itong dalawang PNP member, so as of now iyon ang aming mako-confirm, and sila ay members ng support unit, support unit po ng PNP,” said Muntinlupa Police Investigation and Detective Management Section chief Police Captain Riza Soledad.
(What we can confirm now is that it is under investigation of our office and that they are members of a PNP support unit.)|
The two individuals did not respond to questions regarding their employment details and what they were doing in Muntinlupa City.
“Waiting for investigation, sir, hindi na lang natin (let’s just wait for it),” one said, while the other said “hindi namin masasabi. Hindi namin masasabi lahat ng information, sir. (We cannot say. We cannot share all the information).”
Police said they received information that the two individuals were ordered by a battalion commander in Zamboanga City, receiving a pay of P40,000, of which P20,000 would go to their battalion. The individuals, however, could not provide documents to support this.
For his part, National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) head P/Major General Jose Melencio Nartatez said police members serving for private individuals should first secure the approval of the Chief PNP.
“We have a unit in the Philippine National Police, that is the PNP Security Group, PSPG. In this PSPG, sila ‘yung nagbibigay ng protective custody sa ating mga whether civilian or VIP security wherein itong binibigyan nila ng security, of course, ay mayroong threat in their lives,” he said.
(In this PSPG, they are the ones who give protective custody whether to civilians or VIPs wherein those given security to are, of course, those who have threats to their lives.)
“Sabi ko no cover up, no whitewash, makasuhan ‘yung dapat makasuhan whether criminal case or administrative case on the part of these two PNP personnel," he added.
SAF acting director P/BGen. Mark Pespes also confirmed that the two are members of the SAF, and that they will be relieved from service to give way to the investigation.
Aside from the administrative cases facing them, the two cops are also facing complaints of alarm and scandal stemming from the incident.—Jon Viktor Cabuenas/RF, GMA Integrated News
