3 Manila cops tagged in P.3-M extortion

MANILA, Philippines – Three members of the Manila Police District (MPD) were accused of extorting P350,000 from a government employee whose husband they arrested for alleged drug possession in Taguig City in March.

Senior Police Officer 3 Michael Castillo, SPO2 Marvin Flores and SPO1 Francis Anthony Leones, all of the MPD District Anti-Illegal Drugs (DAID) unit, were identified by complainant Nora Sakaludan, according to Senior Superintendent Ronald Lee, chief of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) National Capital Region.

Sakaludan claimed that Castillo and Leones received P150,000 from her.

Sakaludan said Flores, who was with Castlillo and Leones, identified himself as DAID chief.

She identified the three police officers through their personnel data sheet.

Sakaludan filed the complaint following the arrest of Abdulkahir Salik, 59, alias Ustadz Salik, and Maichel Mastura, 31, during separate entrapment operations in Manila on Thursday.

She said it was Mastura who called her up informing her that her husband, Ibrahim Maliwat, was arrested by anti-narcotics agents of the MPD at the Market! Market! mall in Taguig City on March 24.

Sakaludan said Mastura allegedly demanded P200,000 from her in exchange for the release of her husband.

Sakaludan said she handed over the money to Salik in Malate after she sold her house in Pasig.

However, the policemen failed to release Maliwat and instead asked for another P200,000.

Sakaludan said Castillo threatened to push through with the filing of drug charges against her husband if she would not give the money.

Sakaludan claimed she gave P150,000 to Castillo at the MPD headquarters along United Nations Avenue.

Mastura called up Sakaludan the following day and demanded that she cough up the remaining P50,000, prompting the complainant to seek the help of the CIDG.

MPD records show that DAID operatives filed the charges against Maliwat on March 31, or one week after his arrest in Taguig City.

MPD director Chief Superintendent Rolando Nana has ordered a thorough investigation of the incident.

Superintendent Tom Ibay, CIDG-NCR deputy chief, said they would forward Sakaludan’s complaint to the Philippine National Police Intelligence Group and Directorate for Intelligence.

Ibay said they asked Sakaludan to file graft charges against the three Manila policemen with the Office of the Ombudsman.