4 cops axed for extortion in drug sting

MANILA, Philippines – Four policemen were relieved from their posts for allegedly extorting P100,000 from the partner of a suspect arrested in an unauthorized drug sting, officials said yesterday.

Senior Inspector Donato Mayor Jr., Senior Police Officer 3 Archimedes Dulay Marzan, Police Officer 2 Alex Chomacog Chocowen and PO1 Jay Ron Naz Ramos de Dios were transferred to the District Headquarters Support Unit on Monday pending investigation of the robbery-extortion charge against them, Quezon City Police District chief Senior Superintendent Guillermo Eleazar said.

They were charged before the city prosecutor’s office last Saturday along with Police Officer 1 Michael Gragasin, who was arrested in an entrapment operation at the Masambong police station for extorting P100,000 from Josephine Pineda, partner of the tricycle driver Aldrian Abalos, who was nabbed in a sting.

Gragasin and Chocowen belong to the Masambong police station anti-illegal drug unit. Mayor was commander of the Police Community Precinct 2, which has jurisdiction over the area where Abalos was arrested. The rest belong to the police station. 

Eleazar said a pre-charge evaluation for grave misconduct is being readied against the five policemen.

QCPD spokesman Chief Inspector Titoy Jay Cuden said the four were given time to explain their side before charges were filed against them.

He added that Pineda implicated the four police officers in the extortion.

Pineda said Gragasin and other policemen arrested Abalos in a supposed drug sting at a canteen in Barangay Paltoc, San Francisco Del Monte on Aug. 15.

Cuden said the four lawmen are under investigation since they are not allowed to conduct a drug sting – only police officers from the station and district anti-drug units are allowed to do so.

Eleazar earlier said they would also investigate the other policemen who joined Gragasin in conducting the operation against Abalos.

“If they conducted a drug sting that night, why was no evidence submitted to the crime laboratory such as the illegal drugs seized from the suspect?” he said.

Cuden said prior to conducting a sting, police officers usually coordinate with the QCPD and the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency and it was not done in this case.