ONCE again being true to his word not to tolerate any wrongdoing, Philippine National Police (PNP) director general, Guillermo Tolentino Eleazar, ordered the immediate relief of the district head of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) at the Eastern Police District (EPD) “for lapse of judgement.”
In a statement dated June 12, 2021, Eleazar said ordered immediately relieved was P/Lt. Colonel Arnold Moleta. Aside from lapse in judgement, Moleta was also relieved for command responsibility.
Moleta’s disgrace came after Eleazar, acting on information, ordered a thorough review of the cases the CIDG EPD Field Unit under Moleta filed against three suspects believed behind the illegal sale of vaccines against COVID-19, which is prohibited as the vaccines are to be administered free to the public as a matter of government policy.
Initially, Moleta filed cases against 3 suspects—Nina Ellaine Dizon-Cabrera, Cyle Cedric Bonifacio and, Melvin Gutierrez over the incident. Moleta included Cabrera in the charge sheet despite her insistence that she is innocent and that she was, in fact, the ‘whistleblower’ of the incident.
“After a thorough review of the cases that were filed against those involved in the vaccine/vaccine slot for sale, our legal team came up with the conclusion that Ms. Nina Ellaine Dizon-Cabrera should not have been included in the criminal complaint based on the appreciation of the pieces of evidence on hand,” Eleazar said,
“With this development, I already instructed the CIDG to withdraw the cases filed against her before the Mandaluyong City Prosecutor’s Office in the soonest possible time. The cases against Cyle Cedric Bonifacio and Melvin Gutierrez remain,” Eleazar added.
Since assuming the top PNP post last May 7, 2021, Eleazar stressed that he would not tolerate any wrongdoing in the ranks of the PNP, a policy he let everyone learn with Moleta’s relief.
“Ang mali ay mali at hindi dapat pinaninindigan. Sa halip, ito ay itinatama upang hindi na maulit, at upang kapulutan din ng aral para maging maayos ang pagsisilbi sa taumbayan,” Eleazar repeated adding:
“Let this (relief of Moleta) serve as a reminder to all our personnel that if you are assigned to do a task, always make sure that you do your best, and do it right.”
Despite the incident, Eleazar assured that the PNP’s determination to run after those who take advantage of the government’s vaccination program would not falter.
Before becoming Chief PNP, Eleazar also previously headed ‘Task Force Covid Shield,’ which is in charge of the PNP’s implementation of government protocols and other regulations to combat the COVID-19 pandemic.
It has been a long while since the PNP leadership disciplined its erring members thus demonstrating Eleazar’s seriousness in combatting all forms of police shenanigans.
Last May 28, 2021, in a social media post, Eleazar also announced the arrest of a suspect involved in a PNP promotions and recruitment scam.