Duterte says he ordered dismissal of cops linked to body camera extortion case

President Rodrigo Duterte on Wednesday said he ordered the dismissal of three police officers who had allegedly extorted at least P5 million from a bidder of body cameras.

“In the police, the three majors were working on a body camera and they were arguing because of money. What else? Because of corruption. And so I said, fire them, dismiss them,” Duterte said in a speech at the 80th anniversary of the Department of National Defense in Quezon City.

Lieutenant General Archie Gamboa, officer-in-charge of the Philippine National Police, earlier identified the cops as Police Major Emerson Sales, Police Major Rholly Caraggayan and Police Major Angel Beros. The three policemen were all part of the technical working group of the PNP’s Bids and Awards Committee.

Gamboa vowed on Monday to sign the dismissal order against the three.

Aside from administrative cases, the three cops would also be slapped with criminal complaints.

“If they do not want to be dismissed, just do not allow them to enter the camp. Just tell him, ‘You are no longer a policeman.’ ‘Who said?’ ‘Duterte.’ 'I have not been investigated.’ ‘Never mind the investigation. We’ll come to that later,’” the President said. —LDF, GMA News