PNPA officer faces NAPOLCOM rap over alleged cadet assault

A Tactical Officer of the Philippine National Police Academy (PNPA) is now in hot water, as the National Police Commission (NAPOLCOM) Inspection, Monitoring, and Investigation Service (IMES) on Friday filed an administrative complaint against him.

Police Major Anthony France Ramos was charged with grave misconduct and conduct unbecoming of a police officer by the NAPOLCOM-IMES, headed by its director Edman Pares, at the Commission’s Legal Affairs Service.

Pares said the case stemmed from a complaint filed by PNPA cadet Jude Angelo Igana, alleging that on 31 July, Ramos abused his authority to "gratify his sexual desire" and sexually assaulted the cadet.

The administrative complaint against Ramos was validated, according to Pares, prompting the formal filing of charges.

“So we will have filed a complaint for grave misconduct and conduct unbecoming of a police officer,” Pares told Daily Tribune.

The police major was arrested by the Police Regional Office 4A (PRO4A) on August 7 for allegedly committing acts of lasciviousness against the cadet at the PNPA campus in Silang, Cavite.

Based on a police report, the 23-year-old victim had a drinking session with the 35-year-old suspect on July 31. The suspect allegedly asked the victim for a massage, which led to the supposed acts of lasciviousness around 2:30 a.m.

The PNPA, for its part, issued a statement appealing for the protection of the victim’s privacy.

“As the victim continues to receive psychological support, the PNPA appeals for the protection of his privacy,” the Academy stated in a social media post.

“In light of this incident, the Academy is taking decisive steps to strengthen its internal mechanisms, including the tightening of vetting procedures for all personnel assigned to PNPA. Rest assured, this is an isolated incident, and the institution does not—and will never—condone such acts,” it added.

NAPOLCOM Vice Chairperson Atty. Rafael Calinisan, meanwhile, assured the public that the PNPA official will be given due process before the Commission en banc decides on the case.