PNP: Cop Held in Custody Over Alleged Jeepney Driver Slaying

MANILA, Philippines — A police officer has been placed under restrictive custody as he faces criminal and administrative complaints in connection with the killing of a jeepney driver, the Philippine National Police (PNP) said on Wednesday. In an interview at Camp Crame, PNP public information chief Col. Allen Rae Co identified the implicated police officer as a police executive master sergeant assigned to the Internal Affairs Service–National Capital Region (IAS-NCR). “Immediately upon receipt of this complaint, the IAS disarmed him. He is now being held under restrictive custody at the IAS-NCR,” Co explained in Filipino. READ: Napolcom warns cops taking ‘kotong’ will be dismissed Earlier on Wednesday, the slain jeepney driver’s family members filed an administrative case against the implicated police officer before the National Police Commission (Napolcom). The family alleged that the implicated police officer orchestrated the driver’s killing after the victim refused to pay “butaw” (illegal collections). In a statement, the IAS said the implicated police officer also faces a criminal complaint before the Muntinlupa City Prosecutor’s Office, but it did not specify the charges. “While the IAS has already commenced its own preliminary investigation into the matter, we recognize that the Napolcom’s independent handling of this case will best serve the interest of justice and dispel any perception of institutional bias,” the IAS said. “Accordingly, the IAS will cooperate fully with the Napolcom and will hand over all relevant evidence and documentation gathered in the course of our own proceedings,” it added. /mcm