Police Officers Who Refused a ₱2.5 Million Bribe From Three Foreigners Who Skimmed an ATM Were Given Recognition!

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The life of a police officer is hard because apart from chasing down lawbreakers and making sure all of them are dealt with, these people of authority are also faced with temptations – usually in the form of money. They get it from those who attempt to bribe them when the latter wants to get away from the crime.

Such was the case of three foreigners who bribed police officers when the authorities found them skimming money from an automated teller machine (ATM) last July. According to Philippine Daily Inquirer, a Romanian national identified as Petro Uveges offered to bribe his way out to Chief Inspector Phillip John Pineda, who is the head of the Pampanga Police’s Compact Station.

Superintendent Roland Agohob, who acts as the Pampanga City Police Chief, confirmed this. Apart from Uveges, other foreigners were caught by the police officers who were identified as Radu Minodor Sandor (a Nicaraguan) and Marcu Bogdan (an Italian).

According to the source, they were caught in the act of skimming cash from the ATM outside the Bank of the Philippine Islands Family Savings branch in San Agustin village on July 24, 2017.

Agohob said that they immediately rejected the cash offered to them, which reportedly amounted to ₱2.5 million. He also mentioned that he called his superior “at once,” who is Senior Superintendent Joel Consulta.

On Monday, August 7, 2017, the government officials of Pampanga formally recognized the police officers who refused the bribe. The source noted that Mayor Edwin Santiago, Vice Mayor Jimmy Lazatin, and the city councilors gave certificates of recognition to Agohob, Pineda, Chief Inspector Christopher Guste, and Senior Inspector Norlito Calderon, among others.

The source noted down the full list of the police officers who were awarded, which can be accessed here.

Meanwhile, the suspects were not charged with bribery because according to Agohob, the police officers did not receive the cash, thereby making the act ineffective. However, they are bound to attend the preliminary hearings with charges of violating the Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012 (Republic Act No. 10175) and the Access Devices Regulation Act of 1998 (RA 8484).

n an additional report from the Philippine News Agency, Agohob said:
“We are coordinating with the Bureau of Immigration on the status of the suspects as they might be involved in an international syndicate engaged in ATM card fraud.”
“In the meantime, they will be charged with violation of RA 8484 or Access Devise Regulation Act and violation of Section of 8792 or E- Commerce Law.”
Meanwhile, netizens who heard the report said their respective comments on social media. Here are some of them: