MANILA - A policeman may be dismissed after he was caught illegally selling tocilizumab in an operation conducted by the National Bureau of Investigation.

Police Staff Sergeant Ariel Yalung was arrested in Quezon City for illegally trying to sell the anti-inflammatory off-label drug used to treat COVID-19 patients at P95,000.

Its suggested price is P25,000.

A Department of Healh official said in September that the supply of tocilizumab will remain low until the end of the year.

• Tocilizumab supply to remain low until December: DOH

“Ngayon pa lang ay tinitiyak ko na matatanggal sa serbisyo ang dalawa sa aming kasamahan dahil sa kalokohang kinasangkutan nila,” Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Guillermo Eleazar said in a statement.

(As early as now I can guarantee that these two policemen will be removed from the service because of what they are involved in.)

In the same statement, Eleazar also noted that a certain Police Staff Sgt. June Angeles was arrested in an entrapment operation in Rizal after he was accused of demanding money from the spouse of a detainee.

“Nakakulong na at nahaharap sa kasong kriminal at administratibo ang dalawang pulis na ito at ipinapangako natin sa ating mga kababayan na patuloy ang aming gagawing paglilinis ng mga anay sa aming hanay,” he added.

(They have now been arrested and are facing criminal and administrative charges. We promise the public that we will continue the process of cleansing our ranks.)

Eleazar has ordered the PNP's Internal Affairs Service (IAS) to speed up the investigation on the two cops, according to the statement.

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