The noose may be starting to tighten around one of two policemen linked to an extortion attempt on the son of new Metro Manila police director Chief Superintendent Leonardo Espina earlier this week.
 
As it formed a tracker team, the Quezon City Police District has put the salary of SPO4 Jose dela Peña on hold, radio dzBB's Rowena Salvacion reported Friday.
 
QCPD head Chief Superintendent Mario dela Vega was quoted in the report as saying dela Peña has still not reported to his post since the day of the incident.
 
Dela Vega also formed a tracker team to go after dela Peña after earlier efforts to find him proved fruitless, radio dzBB's Allan Gatus reported.
 
Earlier attempts to locate the policeman had failed.
 
Last Tuesday, dela Peña and PO2 Resty del Rosario allegedly tried to extort money from Espina's son, who they accosted and accused of engaging in phone sex in his car.
 
Del Rosario surfaced Thursday, but claimed he was just following orders from dela Peña. The two have been relieved of their duties and were placed on floating status.
 
Meanwhile, dela Vega noted dela Peña has a pending case against him for extortion, involving a different case earlier this year.
 
Citing reports reaching him, dela Vega said the other case stemmed from an incident last May 21, when dela Peña allegedly accosted a couple inside a car at Panay Avenue and accused them of indecent behavior.
 
Dela Vega said he was puzzled over how dela Peña managed to return to the patrol unit even after last May's incident. — ELR, GMA News