Two cops suspected of extortion in Benguet arrested
Two policemen were arrested in an entrapment operation in Benguet on Wednesday night.
In a report, the Counter Intelligence Task Force (CITF) of the Philippine National Police (PNP) identified them as SPO3 Paulino Lubos Jr, assigned at Tublay Municipal Police Station and SPO4 Gilbert Legaspi, assigned as intel operative of Provincial Intelligence Branch (PIB), Benguet Police Provincial Office.
The two policemen were arrested during an entrapment operation at Dinawis Restaurant in La Trinidad, Benguet around 7:30 pm.
Based on the report the operation against the two policemen stemmed on the complaint of Ryan Abing Olsina and Jerbin Pulac Velasco, collector and operator of Small Town Lottery (STL) in La Trinidad, Benguet.
“Accordingly, the arrested PNP personnel are allegedly frequently arresting STL collectors, including the complainants, and demanding a certain amount of money ranging from P5,000 to P40,000 to the STL operator in exchange of not filing any case against their arrested employees,” the report stated.
Authorities also seized the marked money of P3,000 which is a balance by the complainants who previously paid P2,500 to the arrested suspects.
The suspects were brought to the CITF headquarters in Camp Crame for filing of appropriate criminal and administrative charges. Robina Asido/DMS
