Duterte dismisses 3 policemen over body camera deal
Credit to Author: Catherine S. Valente, TMT| Date: Wed, 20 Nov 2019 14:40:03 +0000
PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte on Wednesday ordered the dismissal of three police officials accused of extorting around P5 million from a bidder of body cameras to be used in the government’s drug war.
“In the police, the three majors were working on a body camera and they were arguing because of money. What else? Because of corruption. And so I said, ‘fire them, dismiss them,’” Duterte said in his speech during the 80th anniversary of the Department of National Defense in Camp Aguinaldo, Quezon City.
“If they do not want to be dismissed, just do not allow them to enter the camp. Just tell him, ‘You are no longer a policeman.’ ‘Who said?’ ‘Duterte.’ ‘I have not been investigated.’ ‘Never mind the investigation. We’ll come to that later,’” he added.
Philippine National Police (PNP) officer-in-charge Archie Gamboa said he ordered the relief of the three police officers from the technical working group of the Bids and Awards Committee as they undergo administrative proceedings.
Gamboa identified the three police officers as Maj. Emerson Sales and Maj. Rholly Caraggayan, who are on absent without official leave status — and Maj. Angel Beros.
The three policemen’s illegal activities were exposed by one of the losing bidders in the P334-million body camera project, he said.
The body cameras were supposed to ensure transparency amid the government’s relentless war on drugs marred by alleged involvement of police officers in the killing of innocent civilians.
No bidder has so far been selected by the PNP.