NCRPO sacks 31 cops over P85-M robbery in Las Piñas

The National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) has removed 31 officers from the Eastern Police District’s (EPD) Special Operations Unit following allegations that some of them robbed a Chinese businessman of P85 million in Las Piñas City on April 2.

NCRPO chief Maj. Gen. Anthony Aberin said the entire unit was relieved while an investigation is underway against eight personnel accused of staging the heist using a fake arrest warrant.

The eight officers allegedly involved are now under restrictive custody. Aberin has also directed the filing of both criminal and administrative charges against the implicated personnel and their immediate supervisors.

“Tayo ay nalulungkot sa ginawa ng mga miyembro ng NCRPO pero we will not tolerate yung mga ganitong aksyon,” Aberin said in an interview.

Preliminary findings indicate multiple violations by the officers, including failure to coordinate with local police, non-compliance with the use of body-worn cameras, and lack of pre-operation clearance from their superiors.

The businessman’s family said the police operatives disabled their CCTV system, forced open their vaults, and took valuables including cash in pesos, US dollars, and Malaysian ringgits, along with jewelry, gadgets, and personal items amounting to PHP85 million.

“Marami silang violations, lumabas po sila sa [area of responsibility] without the proper pre-operations clearance,” Aberin said.

He added that the officers claimed their operation was legitimate and alleged the Chinese national attempted to bribe them.

“Sa mga members ng NCRPO it’s a clear warning na lahat ng mga involved sa mga illegal activities, on things like this ay hindi natin sasantuhin,” he warned.

“We will subject you to investigation, we will file criminal charges against you, and we will dismiss you from the police service. NCRPO is no place for police scalawags.”