Zamboanga del Sur鈥檚 new police director warns cops vs illegal activities
INQUIRER FILES
PAGADIAN CITY — The newly installed chief of the Zamboanga del Sur police warned erring policemen involved in illegal activities to stop or they risk losing their jobs.
Col. Bonifacio Arañas Jr., who just assumed office as provincial police director of Zamboanga del Sur on Thursday, said two policemen were arrested in early March after they were found to be engaged in illegal activities outside the province.
Criminal and administrative cases have been filed against Police Maj. Gerald Aranas, chief of the Duminalinao town police station in Zamboanga del Sur, and Patrolman Chenglei Vegare of the Guipos municipal police station, after they were arrested in separate police operations on March 1 and March 16, when they were caught engaged in smuggling activities.
Aranas was arrested on March 1 after policemen caught him inside a car loaded with smuggled cigarettes while Vegare was arrested in Barangay New Dapitan, Rizal town on March 16 for allegedly selling smuggled items.
Arañas said police were being monitored even if they engaged in illegal activities outside their workplaces.
Both PNP Chief Gen. Rommel Marbil and Zamboanga Peninsula Regional Director Brig. Gen. Roel Rodolfo would not tolerate illegal activities, he said.
On March 1, when Aranas was caught, police flagged down a Toyota Innova for a random inspection at a Commission on Elections (Comelec) checkpoint in Sinacaban town, Misamis Occidental around 5:30 a.m.
The driver of the vehicle refused to stop, prompting the police to give chase.
When they finally caught up with the car at Barangay Tipan, Oroquieta City, Misamis Occidental, police found reams of cigarettes sticking out of the vehicle’s backseat.
They also found the chief of the Dumalinao town police station inside the car and arrested him along with the driver, a certain Jeffrey Baga of Clarin town in Misamis Occidental, and a passenger named Edwin Guisadio of Barangay Tiguma here.
Seized were 26 master cases of smuggled cigarettes worth about P390,000 in the local market, said Arañas.
Vegare was arrested on March 16 after being caught selling smuggled cigarettes in Rizal town, Zamboanga del Norte. Seized were 200 reams of smuggled cigarettes worth about P229,200 in the local market, according to Arañas.
Both suspects are being held at the Regional Personnel Holding And Accounting Section of the regional police office, while administrative charges are being filed in court, Arañas said.
