MANILA, Philippines – Philippine National Police (PNP) officer-in-charge Lieutenant General Archie Gamboa is one step away from dismissing the 3 procurement police officials accused of extorting P5 million from an aspiring supplier for thousands of body-worn police cameras.

In an ambush interview on Monday, November 18, Gamboa said he is already signing the dismissal order of the following cops on the same day:

1. Major Emerson Sales
2. Major Rholly Caraggayan
3. Major Angel Beros

“Today I will sign their dismissal from service, of course, they have ten days to appeal my decision to me, but what do you expect?” Gamboa said.

What happened? The PNP wanted to obtain at least 12,000 body cameras by June 2018 with a budget of P334 million.

Gamboa said that some time in 2018, a disqualified bidder of the body cameras approached him and complained about the 3 cops asking for P5 million in exchange for a favorable procurement.

Gamboa was then the Bids and Awards Committee chairman under the leadership of former police chief and now senator Ronald dela Rosa.

What will happen now? Gamboa said that Majors Emerson and Caraggayan are already on AWOL status, while Beros continues to be active in service. The 3 are set to face criminal charges, Gamboa added.

As the cops are held to account, Gamboa said that some 3,000 body cameras are set to arrive by the 2nd quarter of 2020. Five suppliers are undergoing “post-qualification” procedures before the PNP decides who will supply more cameras.

“The PNP will not only procure body cameras but a sophisticated, reliable, and secure system which will allow complete system management, real-time live streaming, data storage, and backup and overall connectivity and monitoring,” Gamboa said. – Rappler.com