Police corporal nabbed for alleged robbery-extortion, carnapping

A police corporal was arrested by the Northern Police District for his alleged involvement in robbery-extortion and carnapping.

According to a "24 Oras" report by Oscar Oida on Wednesday, the victim “Ariel” said he was waylaid by two men claiming to be police officers along EDSA, and was made to ride a vehicle with three other individuals.

“Iniwan yung motor ko doon, tapos dinala kami kung saan-saan. Yung tatlong kasama kong nakasakay doon, hinihingan ng pera kung meron silang pwedeng lapitan na magbayad sa kanila. Pumunta kami ng Valenzuela, kasi yung kapatid nung isa magbibigay daw ng pera, pero nung pumunta po kami doon wala yung kapatid… Umalis po kami, hinintay niya magbigay yung isa,” he shared.

(They left my motorcycle, and they brought us to different places. The three people with me in the car were asked to pay if they had anyone who could pay for them. We went to Valenzuela, since one of the victims’ siblings said that they would give money, but they weren’t there when we arrived… We left, and they waited for another victim to pay.)

He also said that some of the victims were physically harmed by the suspects.

“Noong wala sila makuha, binugbog nila yung isa na duguan na… tapos tinawagan yung kapatid, nagmamakaawa yung kuya na ‘ibigay mo na, tol. Ibigay mo na tol. Di bibigay yan, papatayin nila ko dito,’ kaya nagbigay ng pera po kaagad yung kapatid ng isang nahuli,” he added.

(When they weren’t able to get anything, they beat up one of the victims until he was bloodied… then, they called his sibling and he was begging him to ‘Give it. Give it already. They won’t budge, they will kill me here,’ which was why the sibling of the victim paid immediately.)

After more than six hours, the two victims were finally released at Del Monte Avenue in Quezon City, while CCTV footage caught Ariel being dropped off at the area where he was picked up.

“[Noong] binaba po ako diyan, sabi sa akin ‘kung wala ka man lang maibibigay, kukunin na namin yung motor’… tapos po yung sabi ko, ‘pwede niyong kunin cellphone ko, kailangan ko sa trabaho ko po yan’. ‘Ay kung gusto mo tuluyan ka na namin?’, sabi sa akin, kasi gusto nila isalvage kami eh. Sabi ko ‘hindi po,’” Ariel said.

([When I was] dropped off there, they told me ‘if you can’t give anything, we’ll just take the motorcycle’… then I said, ‘you can take my phone instead, I need that for work’. ‘Ay, do you want us to kill you?’, they told me because they wanted to salvage us. I said ‘no, sir.’)

Further investigation by the Quezon City Police District confirmed that one of their corporals at the Northern Police District (NPD) District Personnel Holding Administrative Section was involved in the crime, and that he had also been charged with other cases previously.

“Navalidate nitong ating mga investigator, at ito po ay naidentify through yung CCTV footage na narecover, and doon din po sa pakikipagugnayan din… kasi nakipagugnayan din ang ating mga operatiba dito sa Intelligence Division ng Northern Police District,” said QCPD Spokesperson Police Captain Febie Madrid.

(This was validated by our investigators and identified through recovered CCTV footage, and also with coordination… because our operatives are also coordinating with the Northern Police District Intelligence Division.)

“Kaya siya ngayon naka-presently assigned dito sa Northern Police District Personnel Admin Section dahil mayroon din siyang previous na mga record when it comes to irregularities in the performance of duties. So, may dati na siyang involvement,” she added.

(He is presently assigned to the Northern Police District Personnel Admin Section because he has previous records when it comes to irregularities in the performance of duties. So, he has previous involvement.)

QCPD did not name the officer but said he is under investigation.  

“Paalala natin sa publiko na kung may mga ganitong insidente na may magpakilalang pulis, wag po tayong mahiyang manigurado kung sila ay nasa tamang uniporme at wag mahiyang hingan sila ng ID para sa ating kaligtasan,” Madrid said.

(We remind the public that if you come across an incident where someone identifies themselves as police, don’t hesitate to check if they are in the correct uniform and ask for an ID for your safety.) —Jiselle Anne Casucian/LDF, GMA Integrated News