By Christopher Lloyd Caliwan/ PNA
MANILA — National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) chief Maj. Gen. Guillermo Eleazar on Thursday personally served the warrant of arrest against seven Las Piñas cops who are facing kidnap for ransom charges inside the NCRPO headquarters in Taguig City.
The operation stemmed from the coordination made by Maj. Resty Soriano, Silang, Cavite police chief, to the NCRPO Regional Special Operations Unit (RSOU).
Staff Sgt. Joel Lupig, Corporals Vener Gunalao and Jayson Arellano and Patrolmen Jeffrey DeLeon, Mark Jeffreson Fulgencio, Raymart Gomez, and Erickson Rivera, were under restrictive custody at the NCRPO Custodial Detention Facility of Regional Headquarters Support Unit (RHSU) when they were arrested.
Eleazar said Shelane Lagutan, a sister of an arrested drug suspect, complained that the seven police officers tried to demand money from them in exchange for the release and dropping of charges against her brother in November 2018.
The suspects earlier eluded arrest during an entrapment operation conducted against them but they later surrendered to Eleazar.
They underwent documentation prior to return of warrant of arrest to the court of origin for the issuance of commitment order.
Aside from criminal charges, the seven cops were also charged with grave misconduct.
Meanwhile, another cop was arrested for estafa inside the Custodial Detention Facility in Camp Bagong Diwa on Tuesday.
Staff Sgt. Rafael Muchuelas allegedly scammed Master Sgt. Jenaline Sad-Ang and his wife by making them invest PHP2.6 million in his company, Rafael Muchuelas Group of Companies.
He promised the couple that with his company’s ties with the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation they would profit from their investment.
However, the Sad-Ang couple never got their profitable return, prompting them to file a case against Muchuelas.
It was also found out through verification with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) that the Rafael Muchuelas Group of Companies does not exist.
Muchuelas was brought to the Regional Special Operations Unit (RSOU) for documentation and the warrant of arrest will be returned to the court of origin.
“This is the result of the intensification of our anti-criminality campaign. We assure the public that the PNP especially NCRPO will run after criminals no matter where they try to hide,” Eleazar said.
