CAMP OLIVAS, Pampanga — Outraged by reports of police involvement in a robbery, Police Brigadier General Rogelio “Pojie” Peñones vowed Friday to purge the ranks of scalawags, following the arrest of two active members of the Pampanga Drug Enforcement Unit (PDEU) allegedly linked to a robbery in Mabalacat City on the night of 16 July 2025.

Peñones’ statement came after an initial investigation revealed that five unidentified armed men, clad in black jackets, bonnets and masks, forcibly entered a printing shop in Barangay Tabun at around 10:00 p.m. The victims, both local residents, were tied with cable straps, their CCTV system dismantled, and were accused by the intruders of being involved in illegal drugs.

After ransacking the premises, the suspects fled with nine high-end smartphones aboard a black Toyota Vios with no license plates.

According to Peñones, a swift police follow-up operation led to the discovery of the abandoned getaway vehicle in Barangay San Vicente, Sacobia, Bamban, Tarlac. Upon inspection, police recovered a document inside the vehicle linking it to members of the Provincial Drug Enforcement Unit of the Pampanga Police Provincial Office.

While the names of the involved officers have not been publicly released as of this writing, coordination with the unit led to the arrest of two PDEU personnel and the recovery of the stolen items.

The suspects were immediately arrested, apprised of their constitutional rights, and are now facing charges of robbery with intimidation and attempted kidnapping.