Southern Police District relieves 17 cops for alleged extortion
The director of the Philippine National Police (PNP) Southern Police District ordered on Thursday the relief of more than a dozen policemen allegedly involved in extortion.
“District Director Chief Supt. Tomas Apolinario Jr. has ordered today the relief of all the 17 personnel of the District Special Operations Unit (DSOU) following a report received of an alleged robbery extortion being committed by the DSOU personnel against one Roselyn Genorga, 55,” Chief Inspector Jenny Tecson, SPD spokesperson, said.
She said Genorga, a resident of no. 71 Barena Balagbag, Merville Access Road, Brgy 21, Pasay was arrested by the DSOU personnel after she was allegedly caught collecting loteng bets money from unidentified male bettors last Tuesday.
But Tecson said the DSOU personnel reportedly extorted money from the family of the suspect.
“Allegedly subject person was brought to DSOU Office for violation of RA 9287 an act increasing the penalties for illegal number games. But the operatives demanded from her family an amount of 200,000.00 pesos but was lowered to 50,000.00 in exchange of a favor of dropping the case of violation of RA 9165 to RA 9287 ,” she said.
Responding to the reported extortion, Tecson said the SPD immediately “proceed to the DSOU office and there and then confiscated the firearms and cellphones of the six personnel present.”
Tecson said initially the daughter of Genorga “admitted that she hand over personally to one of the operatives an amount of 25,000 pesos which when asked to pinpoint the same, positive identification was noted.”
"As a consequence, appropriate documents are now being readied against the five identified personnel for an alleged robbery extortion committed which is defined and penalized under art 294 as amended by RA 7659 of the Revised Penal Code and for violation of RA 6713 Code of Conduct and Ethical Standard for Public Employee,” she added.
Tecson said the five DSOU personnel identified as P03 Simon Respicio, P02 Jimmy Abadines, P01 Randy Mangubat, P01 Kervilyn Dugyawe and P01 Moli M Esmail will be subjected for inquest proceedings for the cases.
In an interview, PNP Director General Ronald Dela Rosa lauded the SPD for its action against their rouge policemen.
“These are very positive development for our internal cleansing program. You know why? It did not take the CITF, our counter intelligence task force ,to do the entrapment operations. It took personnel themselves from within the SPD to undertake or to conduct the entrapment operation,” he said.
"So it is very good, they are the ones arresting themselves. The CITF do not need to go there to do the arrest so meaning everyone has internalize internal cleansing program,” he added. Robina Asido/DMS
