..MANILA, Philippines - Two Metro Manila-based policemen have been transferred to the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) as punishment for using Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Jesse M. Robredo's name in collecting jueteng payola from gambling lords operating in Metro Manila and nearby provinces.
The two policemen -Police Officer 2 Angelito "Bebit" Aguas, of the PNP Criminal Investigation and Detection Group, and Police Officer 1 William Cajayon, of the Quezon City Police District - were reassigned to the Basilan Provincial Police Office.
Robredo took action after receiving several tip-offs and text messages from reliable sources regarding the illegal activities of the two police officers. He then directed Philippine National Police (PNP) Chief Gen. Nicanor Bartolome to conduct an investigation.
"I had received several derogatory verbal and text message reports about the extortion activities of PO2 Aguas and PO1 Cajayon. I put to task the PNP to investigate them. As part of its disciplinary action against erring policemen, I think it was just right for the PNP to transfer them to the PNP regional office at ARMM," he said.
"While at the PNP ARMM, I will give instructions to the concerned officers to closely monitor the activities of PO2 Aguas and PO1 Cajayon and ensure that they stay there and undergo proper disciplinary and moral value recovery trainings from their superiors," he added.
Further, Cajayon was even accused in a tabloid paper on December 19, 2011 for allegedly going the rounds in various KTV bars and sauna massage parlors in Metro Manila and collecting protection money purportedly for the Inter-Agency Council and Anti-Trafficking (IACAT) office which is being headed by Vice President Jejomar Binay and Justice Secretary Leila de Lima.
Aguas, on the other hand, had been accused of allegedly acting as jueteng payola collectors of certain police officers at the CIDG and the PNP National Capital Regional Police Officer (NCRPO), using Robredo's name to collect and extort money from gambling lords.
Last month, Robredo also ordered the verification of an emailed report sent to Camp Crame-based reporters allegedly prepared by a jueteng payola collector identified as Molly Acuna implicating three police officers as recipients of jueteng protection money. Acuna has not come out in the open to validate his claims on the alleged irregularity.
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