PNP sacks 14 cops, arrests 4 others for mulcting, extortion

MANILA, Philippines - Fourteen police officers were sacked while four others were arrested by the Philippine National Police in connection with the revitalized campaign to weed out their ranks from mulcting and extorting cops. In a report submitted to the Department of Interior and Local Government, the PNP said charges are now being prepared against the officers and other law enforcers involved in extortion activities. PNP chief Director General Avelino Razon Jr said that Honesty Teams organized by the PNP have arrested and filed criminal charges against eight employees of the Land Transportation Office (LTO) and six civilians and an officer of the Makati Public Safety Assistance Group (MAPSA) for their involvement in various extortion activities during the last quarter of 2007. He said that the PNP's Kotong Incident Management System continues to monitor cases of mulcting cops to ensure that proper action are initiated against them. The DILG and the PNP are members of the Presidential Task Force Kontra Kotong at Kolorum (KKK) headed by retired Lt. Gen. Roy Kyamko, the former chief of the Armed Forces Southern Command and deputy chief of the National Anti-Environmental Crime Task Force. Puno had tasked DILG Undersecretary for Peace and Order Melchor Rosales and Assistant Secretary Oscar Valenzuela to oversee the Department's effort in eliminating mulcting traffic enforcers and catch public utility vehicles plying without valid franchises. The DILG chief identified those relieved fro their posts as Senior Supt. Pedro Merced of the 6th Regional Mobile Group, Supt. Audie DM Atienza of the San Fernando City Police Station, Senior Inspector Nilda Rapiz, Police Officer 4 Lino Duarte and Police Officer 2 Dailyn Casa of the Iloilo City Police Station, Police Officer 2 Nelson Umali of the Makati City Police Station, Police Officer 1 Ronnie Remolona, Police Officer 2 Edward Roder, and Police Officer 2 Enrique Roldan of the Quezon Provincial Police Office. Also relieved were Police Officer 3 Ramon Galvez of the Caloocan City Police Station, Police Officer 3 Juvy Sunggayan of the Marikina City Police Station, Police Officer 2 Domingo Luyun and Alex Garro of the Eastern Police District, and Police Officer 2 Emmanuel Esteral of the Marikina City Police Station. Those arrested, on the other hand, were Senior Police Officer 1 Emmanuel Villena of the Paranaque Traffic Enforcement Group, who was charged with robbery extortion and violation of the anti-graft law for mulcting money from bus operators. His brother, Police Officer 1 Arnel Villena, was charged with obstruction of justice for interfering in his arrest. In Cebu City, the PNP Honesty Team arrested and charged with robbery extortion Police Officer 2 Jesus dela Cruz of the Regional Special Service Group, while in a separate entrapment operation, Police Officer 1 Blaire Francis Quezon was arrested and criminally charged for meddling in a police operation. In separate incidents, Badrudin Ambolodto, Mudjamir Magondaga, Jordan Jainal, Jaimer Ryl Gocolano, Abraham Genso and Rasul Ulimpin who are all employees of the LTO in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM); Jerson Calipay of LTO South Cotabato and Saturnino Cagalpin of LTO Sarangani were arrested and slapped with criminal charges for mulcting money. A MAPSA officer, Ramon Fernandez, was caught last December demanding P15,000 in protection money from jeepney operators in Makati and was arrested by operatives of the Southern Police District. He is now facing charges of robbery extortion. Civilian Eric Enriquez, who claimed to be an editor of the People's Brigada Ngayon; Lyndon Pancho, a freelance confidential informant; and Nicolas Cagmat, Arvie Galindo, Roldan Cagmat and Junrey Cagmat of VISA-PHIL Kalikasan were also arrested for their involvement in extortion activities and are now facing charges of robbery extortion. Meanwhile, the station commander of Quezon City Police District (QCPD) Station 9 in Anonas District may face charges after two of his men complained that the officer was protecting illegal gambling operations in the area. QCPD Director Sr. Supt. Magtanggol Gatdula directed Supt. Oscar Palisoc, Station 9 chief, to respond to allegations by SPO1s Armando Rivera and Solomon Altahaye that he tried to intervene in the arrest of a suspected jueteng collector. Rivera and Altahaye claimed they were verbally assaulted by Palisoc after they arrested Orlando Balmes along Katipunan Road for being involved in jueteng. The two said they were berated by Palisoc inside his office and even threatened to file charges against them. But Palisoc explained that he berated the two after they failed to present the suspect immediately after the arrest. Palisoc said the duo kept Balmes for four hours, raising suspicions that Rivera and Altahaye were trying to extort money from the suspect. - GMANews.TV