Eleazar sacks PNP recruitment ‘fixer’
AN ambulance driver of the Philippine National Police (PNP) Health Service was dismissed from service due to grave misconduct for allegedly extorting money from police applicants.
PNP Chief General Guillermo Eleazar ordered the dismissal from the service of Police Staff Sergeant Joel Zalun Bunagan.
It can be recalled that operatives of PNP Integrity Monitoring and Enforcement Group (IMEG) arrested Bunagan in an entrapment operation in Barangay 175 Camarin, Caloocan City last May 31, where he demanded P100,000 from a police applicant supposedly in exchange for facilitating his entry into the PNP.
Accordingly, Bunagan was previously arrested in an entrapment operation in Barangay Kaligayahan, Novaliches, Quezon City by the IMEG for the same offense in April last year.
“Tuluyan na nating tinanggal sa serbisyo itong si Bunagan. Sinabi ko naman sa inyo na walang puwang sa PNP ang mga pulis na sangkot sa iligal na gawain,” Eleazar said.
Bunagan is facing several criminal charges in court including violation of Republic Act 11032 or the Ease of Doing Business and Efficient Government Service Act of 2018 and of Republic Act 3019 or the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act.
“Personal ko na tinututukan ang mga kaso ng tiwaling pulis dahil seryoso ako sa pangakong binitawan ko na linisin at magpatupad ng reporma sa organisasyon,” he added.
In line with this, Eleazar warned Bunagan’s cohorts and other PNP personnel involved in this kind of illegal activity that he would not stop until they are all removed from the organization.
