Four NIR ‘narco’ cops transferred to Mindanao

BACOLOD CITY — Three more commissioned officers and a non-commissioned officer—being investigated for the proliferation of illegal drugs—were added to the list of policemen from the Police Regional Office-18 (Negros Island Region) who were relieved from their posts and reassigned to Mindanao.

Chief Inspector Dianne Grace Catedral, PRO-18 information officer, said that pursuant to Special Order 89 issued by Camp Crame those reassigned to the Autonomous Region for Muslim Mindanao effective January 6 were Chief Inspectors Jeffrey Attunaga, Jerick Filosopo and Argel Ancheta, and Police Officer 3 Mewyn Oñas.

This brought to 35 the number of NIR policemen already reassigned to ARMM and the Cordillera Administrative Region since October last year.

Filosopo was previously assigned as Police Community Relations chief of the Bacolod City Police Office, Attunaga as deputy commander of the BCPO Public Safety Company, while Ancheta served as BCPO Mobile Patrol Group commander. Oñas used to be assigned to the Negros Occidental Provincial Police Office (NOCPPO).

The number of Negros policemen linked to the illegal drug trade may increase, following the revelations Monday of arrested drug personality Ricky Serenio that the Berya drug group — of which he is a member according to the police — has been paying protection money to 35 policemen.

Serenio, who topped the list of drug personalities in Negros Occidental, divulged in a video clip sent to various local media outlets, the names of police officers in Negros island, who were receiving money from his group, ranging from P5,000 to as much as P1 million.

Majority of those revealed by Serenio used to be involved in the anti-drug campaign of BCPO, while others were already reassigned to other regions, the police said.

Catedral clarified that the affidavit of Serenio is not yet finished, and that he still needs to consult his counsel. Once it is done, and we already have the clearance of RD (Chief Supt. Renato Gumban) to release it, Catedral said she will furnish the media with copies of his sworn affidavit.

Of the NIR policemen reassigned to ARMM and CAR, 15 were already marked AWOL (absent without official leave) for not reporting to their new assignments, Gumban said, citing records of the PNP Directorate for Investigation and Detective Management.