The five police officers who surrendered to Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission Undersecretary Gilbert Cruz at Camp Crame on Monday strongly asserted that their operation against a computer shop operating as an online casino on July 11 was a legitimate action.
This was the firm denial given by the five officers during their joint statement delivered by Police Staff Sgt. Ryan Tagle Paculan.
They claim that they discovered the alleged illegal activities of Brexicon Internet Cafe in Sampaloc, Manila on July 7, which they initiated surveillance on.
According to Paculan, their superior at the Manila Police District (MPD)-District Police Intelligence and Operation Unit, PCpt Rufino Casagan, was aware of their findings.
He stated that they even enlisted the assistance of a confidential informant, who regularly provides information, to aid in the case build-up against the targeted computer shop.
According to the statement of the five officers, on July 10, they learned through verification from the Bureau of Permits at Manila City Hall that the mentioned establishment was operating illegally and was not a registered business.
The five officers vehemently denied the allegations that they took ₱40,000 and ₱3,500 allegedly found in a drawer, as well as the hard drive of the computer shop's CCTV system.
Paculan accused the owner of the computer shop, Herminigildo Dela Cruz, of claiming to be a relative of a general and attempting to bribe them with ₱4,000 a week to allow the continued operation of the unregistered computer shop, an offer they allegedly rejected.
After surrendering to PNP Chief Police General Benjamin Acorda Jr. last night, Police Staff Sgts. Ryann Paculan, Jan Erwin Isaac, Cpl Jonmark Dabucol, and Patrolmen Jeremiah Pascual and John Lester Pagar were brought to the Manila Police District to face the complaints against them.
