Awol cop linked to robbery, nabbed

PO1 Eugene Salingay of PRO 10 denies allegation

A POLICEMAN who went absent without official leave (Awol) was arrested in Barangay Poblacion, Danao City last Friday afternoon in connection to a robbery.

PO1 Eugene Salingay, who is assigned to a police regional office in Northern Mindanao (Region 10), was caught past 2 p.m. on P. Del Pilar St. after the robbery victim sought the help of the authorities.

SPO1 Simplicio Gibo of the Carmen Police Station said Jocelyn Garbo, manager of M. Lhuillier Pawnshop-Carmen branch, called for police assistance after a man used her identification card to transact and withdraw money from their other branch in Danao.

Garbo was robbed by two motorcycle-riding men in Barangay Luyang, Carmen, Cebu last Aug. 19. She lost a Lenovo tab worth P10,000, Lenovo mobile phone worth P8,000, and wallet with P2,000 cash and assorted cards.

Signature

Gibo said the man, a motorcycle-for-hire driver, had an authorization letter with Garbo’s signature, which police suspected was forged.

The pawnshop called Garbo to confirm the transaction on suspicion that the man was involved in illegal activities. This prompted Garbo to call up the police for help since she didn’t authorize such transaction.

An alert team led by PO2 Everett Capuyan from Carmen Police Station proceeded to the Danao branch and questioned the man about the transaction.

The man then told the police that he was only asked by his passenger, who turned out to be Salingay and who was waiting several meters away from the pawnshop, to do the transaction.

The 36-year-old policeman, who is a native of Oroquieta City, Misamis Occidental, wasn’t able to run away when the Carmen police approached him.

Gibo, when interviewed by Sun.Star Cebu, said the policeman was identified by Garbo as one of the suspects who took her bag.

Salingay, however, allegedly insisted his innocence on the allegation.

“Wala kuno siya’y kalibutan ana (He claimed he was not aware of the allegation),” Gibo said.

Before the robbery, Garbo told police she saw Salingay pawning mobile phones several times in their Carmen branch.

A complaint of robbery will be filed against Salingay today.