Pubdate: Tue, 08 Feb 2005 Source: Manila Times (Philippines) Copyright: 2005, The Manila Times Contact: http://www.manilatimes.net/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/921 Author: Jonathan Vicente Cited: Philippine National Police http://www.pnp.gov.ph Cited: National Bureau of Invesitgation http://www.nbi.gov.ph/ Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/find?236 (Corruption - Outside U.S.) Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/areas/Philippines AGLIPAY SACKS 11 SORIANO CODDLERS THE Philippine National Police chief, Director General Edgar Aglipay, on Monday ordered the relief of 11 members of the Western Police District (WPD) tagged as the protectors of Martin Soriano, a former agent of the National Bureau of Investigation. Ordered relieved were Supt. Marcelino Pedrozo, chief of WPD Station 9 in Malate, and 10 other policemen assigned to WPD stations. WPD Director Pedro Bula-ong said Pedrozo and his men were placed on a floating status after Soriano implicated their names in hulidap activities. The other policemen who were sacked were Insp. Casan Ali, Senior Police Officers 2 Elmer Manalang and Fernando Cantillas, Police Officer 3 Rodolfo Enderina, Police Officers 2 Arsenio Tercino, Erie Reyes, Alexander delos Reyes and Ronilo Marquez, Police Officers 1 Ronald Rivera and Ramil de Guzman. "The WPD does not tolerate police officers involved in illegal activities. I ordered an immediate investigation to find out if this report is accurate and if they are found guilty they will be dismissed. We do not want them to lure their colleagues into becoming like them," Bulaong said. The relieved officers are restricted from performing any duties until the result of an investigation proves them innocent. Pedrozo denied he had anything to do with Soriano's illegal activities. He said he just met Soriano a month ago when a television reporter introduced the former agent to him. Soriano asked the help of the WPD whenever he wanted to have some criminals arrested in Manila. Soriano had told police investigators that he once had the protection of at least seven policemen in Metro Manila. He was arrested in Quezon City on January 31 with two other men for the alleged kidnapping of Caroline Guillen, a 23-year-old resident of Ayala Heights, Quezon City. Soriano was dismissed from the NBI in 1999 owing to a series of illegal activities he was reportedly involved in. In 1997 Soriano linked former senator Vicente Sotto 3rd to the alleged drug lord Alfredo Tiongco. Soriano said Tiongco had contributed P6 million for the publication of Sotto's book, Vision for a Drug-Free Philippines. Soriano's name also came up after the disappearance of Nicolas Ruiz, defense counsel of Tiongco, and a suspected drug lord, Florencio Parena, in July 1997. Soriano gained further notoriety in 1999 when he and another NBI agent, John Herra, were implicated in the carjacking of Sen. Juan Ponce Enrile's Mitsubishi Pajero. - ---