BRIBERY TRY BACKFIRES

ENTRAPMENT. A policeman of the Consolacion Municipal Police Station (left) adjusts the handcuffs of Jeric Pepito (center) following his arrest on Tuesday, March 28, for selling illegal drugs while his uncle Giovanni Pepito (right, in yellow shirt) looks on. Giovanni also ends up in jail following his arrest on Wednesday night, March 29, for attempting to bribe the police in exchange for the filing of a lower crime case against his nephew. (CDN PHOTO/JUNJIE MENDOZA)

A market collector ended up in jail for trying to buy off police officers in Consolacion town who arrested his nephew in an anti-drug operation.

Giovanni Pepito, 45, and a resident of Barangay Cansaga of the same town, was arrested in an entrapment operation inside the Consolacion Police Station at about 6 p.m. on Wednesday.

Chief Insp. Roderick Gonzales, the police station chief, said Pepito handed over to one of their policemen P30,000 in cash wrapped in a yellow pad paper.

Two hours before the arrest, Pepito called up PO2 Zeusito Veloso and offered to pay P30,000 for the police to downgrade the charges against his 21-year-old nephew Jeric Pepito.

Jeric Pepito was facing charges for selling illegal drugs, which is a non-bailable offense under Republic Act 9168 or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002.

Giovanni Pepito, a job order employee of the Consolacion municipal government, allegedly pleaded to the police to instead charge Jeric Pepito with the lesser crime of possession of illegal drugs, which is a bailable offense.

Until his arrest, Jeric Pepito was listed in the town police’s drug watch list as its number two drug peddler. He was arrested in a drug bust last Tuesday.

After receiving the information on Giovanni Pepito’s offer, the Consolacion police went into motion, setting up the entrapment operation.

Charges for violating Article 212 of the Revised Penal Code or the “Corruption of Public Officials” was filed against Pepito before the Cebu Provincial Prosecutor’s Office yesterday.

When presented before Assistant Prosecutor Jerome Abarca, Pepito chose to waive his right to a preliminary investigation, which could have given him the chance to refute the allegations.

This being so, Abarca recommended the filing of charges against Pepito before the Municipal Circuit Trial Court of Consolacion and Cordova.

NOBLE

Jeric Pepito, on the other hand, was also charged yesterday with a drug peddling case at the Cebu Provincial Prosecutor’s Office, which removed all possibility of him posting a bail and gaining temporary freedom.

No bribery

Cebu Provincial Prosecutor Pepita Jane Petralba said Giovanni Pepito can post bail of not more than P20,000.

In an interview, Petralba said a case of “Corruption of Public Officials” involves any act that intends to obstruct the delivery of justice, particularly to prevent arrests, prosecution or the conviction of an accused.

She clarified that the offense is totally different from bribery.

“Let’s be clear about it. A case of ‘Corruption of Public Officials’ is committed by the giver of the gift or the money. Bribery is committed by the recipient of the gift or the money. Since an entrapment was made in this particular case, then there’s no bribery (because the policemen did not accept the P30,000),” Petralba told Cebu Daily News.

She said law enforcers or any agencies of the government should shun offers from any individual in exchange of favors.

“Acts like these should not be tolerated at all,” she said.

Under the law, Petralba said anyone found guilty of a “Corruption of Public Officials” charge faces an imprisonment for eight to 12 years.

Sought for comment, Pepito admitted that he handed over P30,000 to the Consolacion police.

However, he explained that it was his cousin — the father of Jeric Pepito — who requested him to give the amount to the police.

“Igo ra man ko nga gisugo pagpahatag ana sa mga pulis (I was just asked to deliver the money to the police),” he said. “Wala gani ko makahibawo nga suborno diay na (I didn’t know that the money was intended to bribe the police).”

Good cops

Senior Supt. Eric Noble, chief of the Cebu Provincial Police Office (CPPO), was elated when he learned that the police declined the bribe.

“I’m happy. Yan ang dapat gawin ng mga pulis. Yan ang tama. (That is what the police should do. That is the right thing to do.) The normal thing to do is not to accept things in exchange of favors,” he told Cebu Daily News.

Noble said the actions of the Consolacion police proved that not all policemen are bad and corrupt.

“Napatunayan natin na hindi lahat ng mga pulis ay masasama. May mga mababait na mga pulis (We have proven that not all policemen are bad. There are good policemen as well),” he said.

After refusing to receive the P30,000 offer from Pepito, Noble said the Consolacion police will receive a recognition from him.

“Keep up the good work. I am proud of what you have done. I hope all policemen are like them. They are worthy of emulation,” he said.

Other arrests

Meanwhile, three suspected drug personalities were also arrested in separate drug operations conducted by the police operatives of Liloan and Consolacion on Wednesday evening.

Fannie Saceda, 47, was arrested in a drug bust in Barangay Yati in Liloan town by the police led by its station commander, Chief Inspector Franco Rudolf Oriol.

Seized from Saceda were 12 small sachets of alleged shabu worth P8,496.

Oriol said they received complaints from barangay officials regarding Saceda’s illegal drug trade in the area.

In Barangay Pulpogan I, Consolacion, the police arrested two men in a drug bust.

Roberto Pinuti Jr., 34, and Giovannie Monterde, 38, of Barangay Casili, Consolacion, tried to elude arrest after they noticed that they were transacting with an undercover policeman.

The two suspects, however, were collared by the raiding team.