Police chief outrage against the 'kotong cop' favors the President

Manila---President Rodrigo Duterte on Wednesday said that he favoured the acts of National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) chief for physically showing his outrage to a police officer a.k.a. 'kotong cop' who allegedly extorted money from a drug suspect.

The top cop Major General Guillermo Eleazar was caught in the act of pricking, scolding and pulling the hair of Regional Special Operation Unit of NCRPO Police Cpl. Marlo Quibete.

“Sabihan mo kay Eleazar, okay iyon. Eh ano bang namang ganon-ganon? Sabihin mo, I have his back covered,” Duterte said in a speech in Malacañang during the first anniversary celebration of the Presidential Anti-Corruption Commission.

Eleazar, however, apologized for lashing out and losing his temper but then clarified that his actions were justified.

Credit Image: https://www.philstar.com/pang-masa/police-metro/2019/03/07/1899343/kotong-cop-timbog-sa-entrapment

"Humihingi ako ng paumanhin kung hindi ko nakontrol, pero ang mga taong 'yan ang dahilan kung bakit tayo nasisira, para sakin dapat lang na ganun ang trato sa mga tiwali," he said. 

He said his expression of displeasure to the violent confrontation should be a stern warning to police officers.

"Mapahiya na ang mapahiya, let us show this as a stern warning," he said. 

Earlier, in a filmed video with the presence of police officers, Eleazar was grabbing Quibete's face and at one point pulling his hair while under arrest.

Quibete was handcuffed, collared and yelled by Eleazar in front of the media and other cops.

The cop involved, Quibete, was a member of the District Drug Enforcement Unit (DDEU) of Eastern Police District (EPD).

He was arrested Wednesday midnight after allegedly demanding Php200,000 to a drug suspect named Aries Ochoada in replacement of his freedom who was then arrested in a buy-bust operation in Marikina City.

In a statement told by Quibete's live-in-partner, Eva Cabansag, she said that Quibete was asking too much to Ochoada including gold necklace and a motorcycle.

"Hiningan kami ng P200,000. Sabi ko, 'di ko kaya. Sabi P100,000 na lang, hindi pa rin kaya. Kung ano na lang meron kami. May pinapirmahan pang deed of sale nung motor naming na kunwari binenta ko sa kanila," Cabansag said.

According to the investigation, other members of EPD-DDEU had exchanged text messages to Quibete about the conspiracy including the head of the unit.

With that, Eleazar ordered the immediate relief of EPD chief Police Brigadier General Bernabe Balba and Pasay City Police chief Police Colonel Noel Flores, citing to face robbery and extortion.

"Pinatawag ko iyung iba kagabi, tinatawagan ng kanilang district director, pero hindi na po lumutang. Natakot na siguro dahil sa stiwasyon at namonitor nila na naaresto na itong kasamahan nila," he said in an interview with DZMM. 

Since Duterte admin in 2016, war against drugs has striked over 5,000 drug suspects under police drug operations with criticisms of alleged police abuses and doubts about the legitimacy of police operations.