A Manila policeman who deliberately blocked President Benigno Aquino's motor convoy last week turned out to be a prime catch in the president's campaign against corrupt officials. Investigators this week said senior police officer Ricardo Pascua had twice been fired 11 years ago, but they could not explain how he hung on to his job and received a salary. Pascua was arrested on Tuesday last week when, while driving a red Mitsubishi Adventure, he disregarded signals to pull over to make way for Aquino's convoy. His defiance slowed down the convoy and caused one escorting motorcyclist to crash. At the time of the incident, Pascua did not have a driving licence and did not own the vehicle he was driving. The van had taped-over licence plates and a police siren. One of Aquino's first acts upon assuming office in 2010 was to ban the use of such sirens. His own convoy was not using sirens when it encountered Pascua. 'The policeman was quite arrogant,' presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda said. 'We understand that he even showed a [police] badge to the motorcycle cops who were escorting the convoy.' Interior and Local Government Secretary Jesse Robredo said the National Police Commission, which he heads, would charge Pascua 'for usurpation of authority and for illegally drawing salaries and other benefits' from 2001 when he was dismissed. Pascua was sacked after Amalia Peregrina filed a robbery-extortion complaint against him. A second case of illegal arrest of street vendors was also filed against him, the commission's records show. The commission ordered Pascua dismissed for both cases but he apparently defied both orders and no one questioned him. His superior officer, Superintendent Crisostomo Mendoza, said Pascua was never absent from duty and 'always does the tasks assigned to him'.
