By LITO RULONA Correspondent THE Office of the Ombudsman has dismissed from the service a former chief of the Cagayan de Oro City Police Office’s traffic division and a subordinate in connection with a complaint that they demanded and received protection money from a public transport organization. The Ombudsman, through the office of the deputy ombudsman for the military and other law enforcement offices, slapped Supt. Michael John Deloso and SPO3 Ernesto Galleto with a dismissal order. Deloso served as Cocpo’s deputy director for traffic until he and Galleto were arrested by the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) during an entrapment in a hotel here in 2014. They allegedly received an envelope of cash from lawyer Ernie Palanan, who was then president of the Xavier Heights Jeepney Operators’ and Drivers’ Association Inc. (XHJODAI). The ombudsman’s order is dated Dec. 17, 2016 but a copy of it only reached Palanan on Friday. The document was signed by graft investigation and prosecution officer Lyn Llamasares and approved by Deputy Ombudsman Cyril Ramos. The ombudsman found Deloso and Galleto guilty of gross misconduct, slapped them with a dismissal order, and forfeited their retirement benefits. The ombudsman also cancelled their eligibility even as they were perpetually disqualified for reemployment in the government. In an eight-page decision, the ombudsman said Palanan was able to adduce to hold Deloso and Galleto criminally and administratively liable for unlawfully demanding protection money in exchange for their non-interference in the operations of group of jeepney operators and drivers. It said the assertions of Palanan and witness Resty Barce, and the documentary evidence presented were enough to support the probable cause for violation of the anti-graft law. The ombudsman also said Deloso caused undue injury to complainant with evident bad faith when he apprehended one of the association’s jeepney drivers on false charges in order to intimidate the association and force it into shelling out a monthly protection money. It also noted that the protection money was received, and this was properly documented during the 2014 entrapment operation of the NBI. Reads part of the ruling: “Misconduct is defined as a transgression of some established and definite rule of action, more particularly, unlawful behavior or gross negligence by a public officer. It becomes gross misconduct when it involves any of the elements of corruption, willful intent to violate the law or to disregard established rules, which must be established by substantial evidence. “In this case, P/Supt. Deloso as the deputy city director for traffic of Cagayan de Oro City, had the duty to implement the traffic rules and regulations and files appropriate charges to law violators but he used his position and conspired with coespondent SPO3 Galleto in demanding protection money from XHJODAI. Worse, when they failed to get the protection money on time, P/Supt Deloso personally apprehended complainant driver to force the association to part with its hard-earned money.” The ombudsman directed the National Police and the Department of Interior and Local Government to implement the dismissal order.