NCR’s police ‘misfits’ now doing well in Basilan

ISABELA, Basilan – Misfits they may have been tagged in Metro Manila. But for six former National Capital Region police officers, redemption may have come with their assignment to key posts at the Basilan Provincial Police Office (BPPO).

The most senior among them is Chief Insp. Armando Reyes, who is now chief of police of Hadji Mohammad Ajul town.

Reyes was among 72 Philippine National Police (PNP) officers and men assigned at the Quezon City Police District (QCPD), who were sacked for their alleged links to illegal drugs and the torture of detainees in August last year.

There, too, was Chief Insp. Dennis Gimena, now the top cop in Tuburan town.

Gimena was a Manila Police District officer, who headed its Station 10 anti-crime unit and was implicated in the death of a pedicab driver in 2014.

Supt. Teodolfu Manatad was the former chief of the Carcar City Police Station in Cebu before he was relieved for allegedly carrying on an affair with his staff. He is now BPPO Chief of Operation.

The other officers who have been doing well at the BPPO are Sr. Insp. Bernardo Bacalso, formerly of the Makati police, who is now chief of the Hadji Muhtamad town; and Sr. Insp. Ain Sanchez (chief Sumisip police) and Insp. Marian Sakay-Labi, chief of the BPPO women and children protection desk.

According to BPPO Director Sr. Supt. Nickson Muksan, these officials were able to prove that “they are still an asset to the PNP organization.”

Muksan had earlier assigned them to areas known to be strongholds of the Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG), and ordered them to conduct foot patrol in these areas as punishment for past misdeeds in the police service.

At least 178 policemen were assigned to this province from Metro Manila after the PNP tagged them as police scalawags of Metro Manila.

Of the figure, six were officers and 172 were policemen now assigned at the Provincial Mobile Group (PMG) led by Chief Insp Parson Asadil.