PGMA Awards 2009 Outstanding COPS

PROFILES OF 2009 SEARCH FOR
COUNTRY’S OUTSTANDING POLICEMEN IN SERVICE (COPS) AWARDEES

• PSupt. Carlos was part of the team that dismantled the Antipolo City Shabu Mega-Factory in 2003. Then detailed at the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency, PSupt. Carlos with PNP Anti-Illegal Drugs Special Operations Task Force personnel raided the suspected drug laboratory in Antipolo City. Seized in the operation 1,068.36 kilos of shabu worth over P2.136 billion and 33 drums that carry a total of 30, 195 kilos of precursor and essential chemicals with an estimated Dangerous Drug Board value of P15 million. Several laboratory equipment worth P10 million were also confiscated in the operations. This proved to be one of the major accomplishments of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency and the police because the said drug laboratory has the capacity to produce 500 kilos of shabu per week and was one of the biggest laboratories that produce illegal drugs.
  
  
• In 2006, PSupt Carlos dispatched the Theft and Robbery Section personnel of the Dumaguete Police Station to respond to the killing of a nursing student of Silliman University. The suspect was arrested and was given assistance in getting a lawyer after confessing his involvement in the crime. In less than a year, the case came to a close with the court finding the suspect guilty of Robbery and Homicide.
  
  
• PSupt. Carlos was also part of the team that arrested Christopher Bendijo, Dumaguete’s Most Wanted. He led the chase for Dumaguete’s Most Wanted throughout Metro Manila, Quezon, and Bicol Region. The suspect was eventually arrested in San Francisco, Quezon.
  

PSupt. Carlos was part of the team that dismantled the Antipolo City Shabu Mega-Factory in 2003, and other shabu laboratories in Quezon City, Mandaue City and Davao City. A community-oriented policeman, he believes that the community plays a vital role in giving information needed by the police such as the identity and location of suspects. Fostering this kind of belief, he initiated the transformation of the Dumaguete Police Station to make it more citizen-friendly, with an emphasis on citizen assistance improvement. He also launched barangay visitation and consultation programs, wherein the police and barangay officials discussed peace and order problems and other women and children concerns.

• PSupt. Cruz led in the neutralization of the notorious Palencia Robbery Hold-up Group in an encounter in Barangay Sapang, Cabanatuan City. The Palencia Group was responsible for a series of robbery hold-up incidents including the murder of a vegetable dealer. Being a high profile case, this was featured in the “Scene of the Crime Operatives” of ABS-CBN and in Talakayan sa Isyung Pulis (T.S.I.P.) where PSupt. Cruz was awarded “Highly Efficient Police Executive” (H.E.P.E.) of the week and was given a commendation by PNP Chief PDGen Jesus A. Verzosa.
  
  
• He also led the arrest of the most wanted man in Nueva Ecija for the crime of rape. PSupt. Cruz’s intensive community advocacy on the name and cases of the suspect resulted to community assets sighting the suspect and informing him on the suspect’s whereabouts.
  
  
• PSupt. Cruz led the confiscation of eight (8) imported luxury cars along Maharlika Highway in Cabanatuan City. After the incident, car smuggling groups that prey on innocent customers ceased operations in the area.

PSupt. Cruz has been with the police force for 17 years, and he has played important roles in the apprehension and arrest of numerous criminal groups involved in robbery, hold-up and killings. Among these were the neutralization of the notorious Palencia robbery hold-up group in Cabanatuan City, and the arrest of the most wanted man in Nueva Ecija. He considers the transformation and changes he introduced in Cabanatuan City as his greatest contribution to service. By conducting police-community relations activities such as barangay visitations, outreach programs, seminars and regular dialogues with the barangay officials, the Cabanatuan police was able to establish good relationship with their community

• As a member of the then Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Task Force Mindano Area, PCI Delvo and his team were responsible for tracking down the suspected members of the kidnap for ransom group (then identified as the BABACUA KFRG) who abducted wealthy Chinese businessman. He also led a raiding team to apprehend the other suspects who eluded arrest.
  
  
• PCI Delvo led in the neutralization of a former policeman who is a member of the FAJARDO KFRG and listed as No. 8 Most Wanted in the Philippines.
  
  
• He also led the successful neutralization of a hostage situation at the Quirino Branch Convenience Outlet without any casualties.

PCI Delvo considers the hostage situation in a convenience store in Davao City, which occurred in 2008, as the most memorable and dangerous experience in his career because his life was put on the line. Fortunately, he was able led to arrest the hostage-taker without bloodshed. Aside from this, he also led the neutralization of the top 8 most wanted in the country. PCI Delvo has also been engaging his community in solving and preventing crimes through various programs, one of which is Recon Explorer, a volunteer civilian group that assists the police in monitoring illegal activities in the barangay through the use of hand-held radios.

• On February 2009, in a joint operations with the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA), PSupt. Noble uprooted full grown marijuana plantation in Barngay Poblacion Norte, Sta. Barbara. The estimated value of the confiscated marijuana amounted to P4,500.
  
  
• While servng as Deputy Chief of the Personnel Holding and Accounting Unit (PHAU) of the Directorate for Personnel and Records Management (DPRM), PSupt. Noble was responsible for discovering 146 ghost cops. He was able to mobilize several PNP departments and other government agencies in reporting ghost cops. The discovery of ghost cops has saved some P3 million per month on salaries and benefits of PNP personnel.
  
  
• During his stint in the PNP Values and Leadership School in Subic, PSupt. Noble’s team rehabilitated and re-trained police who were identified as TABA (tamad, abusado, bastos and ayaw padisiplina na pulis) through the conduct of lectures that encouraged policemen to change their ways and have a fresh start in their careers. Over 1,000 personnel benefited in this training program.

PSupt. Noble’s greatest contributions to the police force are dedicated to improving the PNP – its personnel and its system. When he was Deputy Chief of the Personnel Holding and Accounting Unit, he was able to discover 146 “ghost cops,” who were either non-performing, dismissed, discharged, serving jail sentence, or even dead, who were still getting salaries from the government. Upon removing these ghost cops from the rolls of the police force, the PNP was able to save P3 million per month on personnel salaries and benefits. He also conducted training sessions for those who were identified as TABA (tamad, abusado, bastos at ayaw padisiplina na pulis) in 2004. Furthermore, he also helped his fellow policemen in improving their lives by imparting to them his knowledge on personal finance and financial management. He also conceptualized a reading and creative arts program for kids, which included reading the achievements of the successful citizens of Santa Barbara.

• SPO1 Callo served as Assistant Case Officer of COPLAN White Tamaraw that led to the dismantling of a Shabu Laboratory in Calapan City last July 2007. The operations resulted to confiscation of different equipment in manufacturing illegal drugs and essential chemicals that could produce an estimated P3.5 billion worth of high-grade shabu.
  
  
• He also conducted 96 campaigns against illegal logging, which resulted in the recovery of 18, 029 board feet of illegally sawn lumber of different species with 2,296 board feet of keels.
  
  
• SPO1 Callo conducted re-organizations of the Barangay Information Network (BIN) and seminar orientations to its members, which resulted in the increase in the number of BIN volunteers.

A policeman in service for 11 years, SPO1 Callo considers his being part of the team that dismantled the Shabu Laboratory in Calapan City, Oriental Mindoro in 1997 his greatest contribution to the police force. He also changed the common perception about the police as enemies of the transport sector, when he spearheaded the creation of Victoria Operators Drivers and Commuters Cooperative, which resulted in the systematic dispatching of vehicles in the community. To help his community, he initiated the setting-up of a water-refilling station, in which its earnings go to an educational program that supports the out of school youth.

• SPO4 Carillo was part of the team that dismantled a clandestine drug laboratory and neutralized of six (6) foreign chemists at McArthur Highway in Dumoy City. Considered as the biggest drug raid in Mindanao to date, the operation led to the recovery of 129.8 kilos of shabu; several equipment used in the manufacture of illegal drugs; 4,138 bottles of liquid chemicals; and 411 kilograms of crystalline precursors valued by the Dangerous Drugs Board at Php 300 million.
  
  
• As the Chief of Intelligence and Investigation of Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency 11, he effected the arrest of the 7th Most Wanted Drug Personality in the Country The arrest paved the way to the identification of various national and transnational drug lords operating in the country.
  
  
• He was also the Team Leader of the Provincial Anti-Illegal Drug Special Operation Task Group that arrested an ex-policeman who was involved in drug business in Digos City. This was made possible due to the information given by concerned students after attending one of the Preventive Education and Information on Illegal Drug seminars conducted by the PNP.

SPO4 Carillo firmly believes that drugs are a serious threat to the country because criminality is correlated with drug problems. Armed with this kind of dedication, he has been very active in suppressing illegal drugs in his area through anti-drug operations and conducting seminars and lectures on anti-drug abuse and youth gang to students. Though his passion for reducing and eliminating drug use is a very noble cause, he also experienced difficulties while performing his job, such as the lack of support from his superior officers and from the local government unit, which caused him to use his own money during an anti-drug operation.

• PO3 Cueto served as the poseur buyer in an entrapment operation against drug dealers, which led to the successful apprehension of three young female dealers of marijuana. Their team was able to confiscate three kilos of dried marijuana.
  
  
• PO3 Cueto was also actively involved in the Campaign Against Most Wanted Persons in Taal, Batangas. She was part of the team that arrested the number one most wanted person in Taal, Batangas
  
  
• She also supported the Barangay Tanod Professionalization Skills Program, wherein she was active in providing trainings and seminars for the barangay tanod. This led to a decline in criminal incidence in the communities.

PO3 Cueto has proven that being a woman is not a hindrance for her to perform her duties. She has been involved in the entrapment operations against illegal drug use; manhunt operations, surveillance and apprehension of suspected rapists, and raids in sex dens and massage parlors. She is also dedicated to uplifting the lives of the people in her community through organizing livelihood programs for housewives and facilitating seminars on women and children protection desk. She has also been active in organizing and conducting mass and confession to the prisoners of Taal Local Jail, and in providing rehabilitation and restorative justice, with the help of DSWD, to children in conflict with the law.

• PO3 Melchor was part of the team that arrested 7 acetelyn gang members involved in robbery of a pawnshop. This also led to the confiscation of two fragmentation grenade, cal 9mm pistol, cal 38 revolver, cal 357 magnum and three live ammunitions.
  
  
• He also arrested and filed criminal complaints against the suspects who were responsible in shooting the mayor of San Carlos City. He conducted a thorough investigation that resulted to the filing of double murder and frustrated murder charges against the arrested suspects.
  
  
• He also conducted a pre-charge investigation against PNP Members of Agno Police Station in relation to the killing of the Mayor of Agno, Pangasinan. His efforts to gather evidence led to a summary proceedings against the Chief and members of the Agno Police Station for negligence of duty arising from failure to institute the right measures before, during and after the commission of the crime.

A pre-charge investigator, PO3 Melchor is tasked to conduct investigations to various PNP personnel who are considered as “rotten eggs,” the inept, corrupt and undisciplined police. He believes that eliminating corrupt personnel in the PNP is a means through which the police force can gain the trust and confidence of the community. He also co-organized a program called “Kababaihan Tungo sa Kalinisan at Kaunlaran” that aims to empower the women of his community to overcome their problems.

• SPO2 Nazareno was part of the operation against the Waray-Waray Gang, which was responsible for highway robberies. This led to the apprehension of five suspects who held-up a bus. The team recovered from the suspects three .38 revolvers, two cellphones, cash worth Php 8,640.00, and four wrist watches.
  
  
• SPO2 Nazareno was also part of the counter-insurgency campaign, wherein he got involved in an armed confrontation against communist insurgents that lasted for almost an hour. This led to the apprehension of two NPA rebels, recovery of two M16 rifles, one cal. 45 pistol and several ammunitions, and documents with high intelligence value, and the neutralization of the local NPA unit blamed for extorting money from fishpond owners and operators.
  
  
• He was also involved in a raid of a warehouse, which was suspected to be a laboratory for shabu, in Bataan. This led to the discovery of a shabu laboratory and seizure of finished shabu worth P1 billion. SPO2 Nazareno and his team were also able to arrest two suspected Taiwanese nationals, currently detained at the Bataan Provincial Jail. A follow-up operation led to the discovery of another shabu laboratory.

Being in the service for 21 years and being involved in campaigns against insurgency, most wanted persons and highway robber/hold-up, among others, SPO2 Nazareno’s life has been risked several times. The most dangerous was when he was shot by a hold-upper during an armed encounter in April 2006, wherein he almost died as he was only rushed to the hospital after an hour. Believing that the help of the community plays a pivotal role in solving and preventing crimes, SPO2 Nazareno implemented the Operation “Private Eye,” a citizen-based information collection project adopted by the Dangerous Drugs Board (DDB) and the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) that encouraged his community members to report illegal drug use incidences; and “I-report mo kay Mamang Pulis,” which facilitated easier reporting of crimes by concerned citizens. “.

• She was part of the team responsible for the apprehension and filing of appropriate charges against a suspected serial rapist last July 2004. Through the joint efforts of the police, the victims and their relatives, the suspect was identified, apprehended, and was charged with rape of three other victims by the PNP. One of the victims was 11 years old and was also killed by the suspect.
  
  
• PO2 Ybañez was the initiator of the project “Declaration of Drug Free Barangay”, aimed at convincing drug pushers and users to surrender to the PNP. Due to the project, the number of drug related crimes was greatly reduced in areas covered by PO2 Ybañez’ precinct. She also taught students the dangers of drug use through a series of talks in different schools in her area.
  
  
• PO2 Ybañez was also engaged in an entrapment operation against the suspects involved in human trafficking. Through careful planning and cooperation from barangay tanods, two suspects were arrested and charged with the city prosecutor. Three minors held by the suspects were also rescued.

Having been in the police force for only 8 years, PO2 Ybañez is the youngest awardee, in terms of their years of service. Her current duties as Police Community Relations / Family, Juvenile, Gender and Development Police Non-Commissioned Officer include entrapment operations, apprehension and filing of appropriate charges against suspected rapists. Aside from being actively involved in crime solution, she also initiated different activities that would involve the community in crime prevention. These included initiating an advocacy campaign on family crime prevention program and conducting anti-drug campaigns, feeding programs and diversion programs to children in conflict with the law.