Central Luzon police director, Chief Supt. Aaron Aquino, cited “command responsibility” in his relief order to Villaflor who is now assigned to the PNP Regional Holding Unit in Camp Olivas.
Villaflor was replaced by Senior Supt. Jose Hidalgo, Jr.
Councilor Jay Sangil said Villaflor was summoned by the sangguniang panlungsod on Tuesday to report on the reported kidnappings involving Korean nationals.
Sangil said Villaflor even presented an enhanced security measures at the Koreatown to assure the safety of Korean nationals.
But shortly after that, he got his walking papers, Sangil said.
On Tuesday, Villaflor refused to release the names of his subordinates involved in the kidnapping of Korean nationals last December 30. “Let’s hold the names first because they are still under investigation,” he said.
However, his superior officer, Chief Supt. Aquino, released the names of the erring policemen and axed him.
Just last Monday, news surfaced on the abduction of three Korean nationals here last December 30 allegedly in the hands of Villaflor’s subordinates.
CCTV footage showed policemen in plainclothes arriving in two unmarked cars at a residence in Friendship Plaza Subdivision here where the three South Koreans were staying.
The policemen raided the house under the pretext of conducting an illegal online gambling raid.
When they found no evidence, the cops then took computers, jewelry, golf clubs, golf shoes and P10,000 cash from the house and held the Koreans at the ACPO 5 for eight hours.
A friend of the victims then paid the police P300,000 to free them.
According to Aquino, the seven policemen allegedly involved in the robbery-extortion were: Police Officers 3 Arnold Nagayo, Roentjen Domingo, and Gomerson Evangelista; Police Officers 2 Richard King Agapito and Ruben Rodriguez; and Police Officers 1 Jayson Ibe and Mark Joseph Pineda. All of them have been sacked.
Also relieved from their posts were Angeles City Police Station 5 commander Chief Insp. Wendel Arinas and his deputy commander Senior Insp. Rolando Yutuc.
South Korean businessman Jee Ick-joo was abducted by PNP Anti-Illegal Drugs Group cops also at the Friendship Plaza Subdivision and extorted P5 million from his family before he was killed inside Camp Crame last October 18.
Before Jee and his househelp were taken by the cops, they told Jee and his family that they were carrying out a drug raid.
PNP chief Director General Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa said they are looking into the possibility that Jee’s abductors, led by SPO3 Ricky Sta. Isabel who is now detained in Crame, are connected with the seven policemen here.
