PRO-6 cop in Duterte drug list ousted from service
ILOILO CITY — One of the 12 policemen who were named “drug protectors” by President Rodrigo Duterte was already dismissed from service, according to a decision of the National Police Commission en banc, dated July 20, 2017.
Dismissed from service is Superintendent Ronald Allan Gepana, the then chief of the Regional Intelligence Office of the Police Regional Office-6, for conduct unbecoming of a police officer, under S.D. Case No. R6-1026-0027.
Allen Camering, Napolcom-6 pre-charge investigator and spokesman, said the PRO-National Capital Region served the dismissal order on Gepana last August, but his office only received the order this week.
Late last year, the Napolcom-6 charged 12 policemen, formerly assigned in PRO-6, in the socalled “Duterte narco-list,” with Inspector Napoleon Arostique Jr of Napolcom-6 standing as the complainant.
The Napolcom en banc decision noted that on August 7, last year, Duterte publicly named "Gepana as one of the PNP personalities who are involved in the illegal drug trade in Iloilo City."
The Duterte announcement prompted Napolcom to order its regional offices to conduct pre-charge investigation on the named policemen, including Gepana.
The Napolcom decision reads, "That responded admission of his association with the late Mr. Melvin Odicta, a known bigtime drug lord and identified as highvalue target operating mainly in Iloilo City, seriously affecting the campaign of the government against illegal drugs and at the same time compromising his character as a public servant …”
Gepana had denied the allegations against him but, in his counter-affidavit, he "admitted that he personally knows the late Melvin Odicta for 16 years." And that "they saw each other on different parties and celebrations of mutual friends as well as dining at the latter's restaurant."
It was during a birthday party in 2000 when they allegedly met after Odicta was introduced to him by a close high school classmate who happens to be Mr. Odicta's neighbor at Barangay Malipayon in Delgado, Iloilo City. At that time, Gepana was assigned in Central Mindanao and he claimed to have no idea on Odicta's alleged business in Iloilo City.
But the Napolcom, in its decision, said that "in administrative cases, the required degree of proof … is the presence of substantial evidence or that amount of relevant evidence which is a reasonable mind might except as adequate to justify conclusion."
In Gepana's case, the Napolcom noted that he categorically admitted that he personally knew the late Melvin Odicta, a known big-time drug personality in Iloilo City.
The decision noted that the association of respondent to unknown high-value drug personality tarnished the image of the PNP organization. "It is quite improbable and amusing that respondent's handling intelligence operation assigned to different regions denied knowledge of the drug business of Melvin Odicta," it said.
As a high ranking police officer, the Commission said that Gepana should have known and could have avoided situations which could link associations with drug personalities, otherwise, the faith and trust of the general public will suffer.
The decision was signed by Napolcom Commissioner Rogelio Casurao, who is also the vice chairman and executive officer; and Commissioners Felizardo Serapio Jr., Job Mangente, Zenonida Brosas, and Ronald dela Rosa.
Napolcom-6 also charged with the same offense six other policemen of PRO-6: Supts. Ipil Dueñas, Noel Lamsis, Richard Gomboc,and Roderick Condag, Chief Inspectors Vicente Vicente, and Kenneth Ray Militar.
Those charged with gross incompetence and serious neglect of duty are: Senior Supts. Ruperto Floro Jr. Khasmir Disomangcop, and Ricardo dela Paz, and Chief Inspector Rio Maymay, while the one charged with grave misconduct is Senior Insp. Ramiro Christopher de Jose.