2 Pasig cops arrested for extortion

The Philippine National Police (PNP) anti-scalawag unit arrested Thursday evening two Pasig police officers accused of extortion.

Senior Supt. Jose Chiquito Malayo, Counter-Intelligence Task Force (CITF) director, identified those arrested as PO3 Higino Dancel and SPO1 Johan Vega. The two officers are assigned with the Traffic Division of Pasig City Police Station.

Malayo said they were nabbed around 6:05 p.m. in an entrapment operation conducted by CITF personnel in coordination with Eastern Police District and Pasig City Police Station.

The two were allegedly asking money in exchange for a traffic investigation report.

"Marked money was recovered from the desk of the subject PNP personnel," said Malayo in an initial report sent to GMA News Online.

The CITF was formed in February to go after rogue cops following President Rodrigo Duterte’s order to disband police anti-drugs units and focus on getting rid of police scalawags.

Th directive was in response to the kidnapping and killing of Korean businessman Jee Ick Joo in which members of PNP Anti-Illegal Drugs Group were tagged as suspects.

The members of CITF include investigators, counter-intelligence operatives and members of the Special Action Force. — BAP, GMA News