MPD cop in hot water over illegal escort service
A MEMBER of the Manila Police District is now in hot water after he was found to be engaged in an “escort-for-a-fee” racket involving delivery trucks from Manila to Muntinlupa, the Journal Group learned Friday.
Corporal Rex Macarubbo, assigned with the Lawton Police-Community Precinct of the MPD Station 5 in Ermita on Thursday was charged with administrative offenses by the PNP Internal Affairs Service (IAS) following a series of validations triggered by an intelligence packet provided by the PNP Intelligence Group headed by Brigadier General Warren F. de Leon.
A report to Philippine National Police chief General Guillermo Lorenzo T. Eleazar showed that the PNP-IG provided the intelligence packet to the PNP-IAS last April 14 in line with their effort to help unmask misfits and scalawags in the police service.
Undercover officers from the PNP-IG Counter-Intelligence Division who placed Macarubbo, a resident of Poblacion, Muntinlupa City under surveillance, discovered that the latter regularly provides unauthorized escort service to delivery trucks from Binondo to an establishment at the corner of San Marcelino and General Luna Streets in Manila for a fee.
The accused policeman was found to be usually starting his escort service between 8 p.m. until 2 a.m. and sometimes wearing his PNP Field Service Uniform with his firearms and used a black motorcycle without a license plate.
With his presence, the drivers of the delivery trucks carrying mostly perishable and dried goods were able to pass “No Entry Roads” and avoid inconvenience. Further, majority of the truck drivers questioned by PNP-IG agents were found to have no prior permits from Manila City Hall.
The PNP-IG were told by the truck drivers that each of them pay Macarubbo P500 for his escort service from Binondo to Marcelino Street, and P1,200 from Binondo, Manila to Muntinlupa City.
MPD director Brig. Gen. Leo M. Francisco fully supported the PNP-IG undercover operation as part of his ‘zero tolerance’ policy on any member of the unit who are involved in irregularities and are openly defying strict directives from Gen. Eleazar who has launched an Intensified Cleanliness Program in the 210,000-strong police force.
