By Robert B. Roque, Jr.
Talk on the streets is getting juicier around the affairs of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) after the much-publicized assumption of Gen. Nicolas Torre as its chief.
His mission to cleanse its ranks does not seem to send shockwaves through the underworld. And that’s largely because the old ways of corrupt cops collecting from illegal businesses continue to be peddled by this kingpin known as “Michael C.”
Firing Line exposed this last week and now, new names are emerging. Multiple sources have revealed that this Michael C. is allegedly Michael Cincoang, also known by his alias “Eric Shornack.”
What they say is that this guy is the man-Friday of a certain “Lorenzo,” a bagman for the CIDG. I sure do hope that’s not the Lt. Col. Lorenzo who’s known to be close to Gen. Torre.
Getting back to Eric Shornack, this is not the first time Firing Line came across his name as an orbiting collector of clubs and other illegal activities in the name of the CIDG.
Whispers have long attached him to former Maj. Gen. Atty. Jigs Coronel, under whom he supposedly learned the ropes on collecting money in Regions 4A and 4B – the Southern Tagalog regions.
One thing is for sure: This is no small-time racket. Under the wing of this “Lorenzo” is a network of other collectors that includes Jepoy Manuel, Cesar Pilosopo, and Paul — the same names linked to bold show clubs and other sex and sleaze operations within Metro Manila.
No wonder the CIDG’s top man in the National Capital Region (NCR), Col. Quimno, has turned a blind eye to these illegal activities.
My spies say there were orders for Cesar Pilosopo to stand down, but he’s still out there, collecting and operating with impunity.
If Gen. Torre is as determined to clean up as his marching orders suggest, why haven’t these characters been dealt with? For Torre, this should be a gut check. The longer these figures remain untouched, the clearer the message becomes: Torre either cannot — or will not — deal with this cesspool of corruption.
The CIDG’s dark underbelly is out in the open and, at this point, if Torre does not act, his integrity is diminished to nothing before he retires.
The longer these shadowy characters stay in place, the more complicit his leadership will appear to be. It’s not enough to talk about cleaning house, Gen. Torre. Sometimes, you have to burn the house down.
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