CEBU CITY — A police officer assigned at Cebu City’s Police Station 2 was arrested early Wednesday morning after allegedly robbing a resident of Subangdaku, Mandaue City.
Police Officer 1 Argel Fuentes was nabbed by fellow law enforcers from Subangdaku Police Station in a pursuit operation past 5 a.m., following the victim’s call for assistance.
Police Regional Office-Central Visayas (PRO-7) director Chief Supt. Debold Sinas said they will be filing a case of robbery with intimidation against Fuentes after the investigation has been completed.
Sinas said initial investigation also showed Fuentes was involved in seven robbery incidents under the territorial jurisdiction of the Subangdaku Police Station.
“If his involvement in the other robbery incidents is established, we would be filing multiple robbery charges against him (Fuentes),” Sinas said.
Police Station 2 commander Chief Insp. Maria Theresa Macatangay said Fuentes was assigned on beat patrol last week and exhibited some kind of a peculiar behavior.
Macatangay added that she reprimanded Fuentes for transferring the police outpost at Fuente Osmeña circle to another area.
Macatangay said they have also received reports that Fuentes also threatened a resident of Barangay Sambag I last week. Fuentes is on leave at the time of his arrest as he filed for a vacation last Friday following Macatangay’s reprimand.
The rogue police officer is temporarily detained at the Subangdaku Police Station in Mandaue City.
His arrest came on the heels of the series of operations in Metro Manila where several rogue cops have been arrested by their colleagues.
The latest of this involved the arrests of Taguig policemen PO1 Bryan Amir Bajoof, PO1 Paolo Ocampo and the leader of the KFR group, PO2 Joey Maru and the killing of PO1 Gerardo Ancheta — who are said to be into kidnap-for-ransom activities. (Luel Galarpe/PNA)