Police Corporal Marlito Portugueza covers himself with a blanket as he is transferred to the detention cell of the Cebu City Police Office on February 27. He is accused of stealing firearms from the Waterfront Police Station’s evidence room.| CDN Digital file photo
CEBU CITY, Philippines — Police have filed a robbery case against Police Corporal Marlito Portugueza at the Cebu City Prosecutor’s Office this afternoon on February 28, 2020.
Portugueza was caught stealing 12 surrendered loose firearms from the locked vault of the Waterfront Police Station, said Police Major Joemar Pomarejos, Waterfront Police Station chief.
He was arrested on Thursday morning, February 27, after it was learned that he had been stealing the loose firearms inside the police station’s vault since December 2019.
Pomarejos said that Portugueza admitted to have already stolen six firearms from the evidence room of the police station on February 14.
Cop’s cohorts
At least 12 firearms were missing from the evidence room, but these were later surrendered by the so-called “friends” of Portugueza during his arrest.
Pomarejos said that they would not file any case against the supposed cohorts of Portugueza because they were cooperative during the operation and immediately surrendered the firearms that was left to them by Portugueza for “safekeeping.”
“Kay cooperative lang man sila. Kay kini mang gud nga incident dili gyud na maging successful ang ilang pagkawala sa armas kung wala gyud ni siya kuhaa sa police… nag focus lang usa mi sa kaso sa police,” said Pomarejos.
(These persons were cooperative. Since this incident won’t be successful without the policeman initiating the crime. That is why we are focusing on the case of the policeman.)
The other six firearms were later recovered after another witness cooperated with the police.
Pomarejos said that among the 12 stolen firearms, one was sold to Portugueza’s friend who lived in Barangay Tinago, here for P15,000.
Aside from the robbery case, Pomarejos said administrative and criminal charges might also be filed against Portugueza./dbs