MANILA, Philippines — The Supreme Court has reaffirmed its zero-tolerance policy on corruption in government service as it upheld the dismissal of a police senior superintendent who extorted ₱5,000 from an outgoing airport passenger in 2011.
In a decision authored by Senior Associate Justice Marvic Leonen and made public on Tuesday, September 22, the high court denied the police officer’s petition for review, affirming prior rulings by the National Police Commission (NAPOLCOM), the Office of the President, and the Court of Appeals (CA).
“This Court will not tolerate corrupt practices by public officers and will not hesitate to impose the necessary penalties to ensure that public servants possess the necessary discipline and integrity befitting their office,” the Supreme Court stated.
The case stems from a 2011 incident at the then-Macapagal International Airport (now Clark International Airport), where a female passenger was intercepted by security after carrying Philippine currency exceeding the ₱10,000 legal limit.
Fearing she would miss her flight, the passenger asked the police officer what could be done, to which he replied, “Kung ano maluwag sa iyo.”
After negotiating from an initial offer of ₱1,000, the passenger paid ₱5,000 to secure her release and subsequently lodged a grave misconduct complaint with NAPOLCOM.
In his appeal to the high court, the police officer argued that the charges were based solely on uncorroborated statements and claimed the complaint was filed out of retaliation.
However, the Supreme Court found no reason to overturn the consistent findings of the lower tribunals.
“This Court finds no reason to deviate from the uniform findings in prior proceedings that petitioner conditioned respondent’s release from custody on the payment of money. This practice is irregular and blatantly unlawful,” the court ruled.
“Public office is a public trust. Any violation of this trust through grave misconduct is punishable by dismissal from service. Further, the circumstances surrounding the officer’s grave misconduct cannot be mitigated by claims that such misconduct was the erring officer’s first, or that the same officer possessed a long track record of good service,” it added.
Reiterating that constitutional standards demand uncompromised integrity from state workers, the high bench sustained the maximum administrative penalty against the officer.
“Corruption has no place in public service. This Court held that the Constitution and our laws demand a high standard of ethics and integrity from public officials and employees. Those who fall short of this standard and diminish the people’s confidence in the government shall meet the just punishment meted out by the law,” the decision read.
Beyond his dismissal from service, the ruling confirms the forfeiture of the officer’s retirement and other benefits—excluding accrued leave credits—and imposes a perpetual ban on his re-employment in any government agency or state-controlled entity.