Makati police chief, another official sacked after arrest of 4 'extorting' cops

The Philippine National Police (PNP) on Wednesday sacked the chief of police of Makati City following the arrest of his four men who allegedly threatened to kill a businessman's whole family.

Chief Superintendent Rene Aspera, head of the PNP's Personnel and Records Management, said Makati City police chief Senior Superintendent Dionisio Bartolome and the city police's intelligence head, Chief Inspector Oscar Pagulayan, were ordered relieved due to "command responsibility."

Aspera said Bartolome and Pagulayan are being asked to explain whey they failed to discover the illegal activities of the four policemen.

The four policemen identified as Police Officers 2 Harley Garcera and Clarence Maynes and Police Officers 1 Tim Santos and Jeffrey Caniete were arrested by members of the PNP's Counter-Intelligence Task Force (CITF) in an entrapment operation in Pasay City on Tuesday night.

The four policemen allegedly abducted a businessman from his bike shop. The policemen released the businessman after receiving P100,000, but threatened to kill the victim and all members of his family if he will fail to produce another P100,000.

The businessman sought the help of the CITF, which immediately set the entrapment operation.

The four policemen are detained at the CITF's headquarters in Camp Crame. Criminal and administrative charges are being prepared against them. —report fro Tuesday Niu/ALG, GMA News