5 of 7 ‘ninja’ cops surrender
MANILA, Philippines - Four days after President Duterte announced that he wanted captured dead or alive seven police officers allegedly involved in the kidnapping extortion of an inmate’s girlfriend, five of them surrendered to authorities last night.
Police Officers 3 Michael Angelo Solomon and Luis Hizon Jr., PO2 Michael Huerto, PO1s Jovito Roque and Ricky Lamsen, all from the Malabon City police drug enforcement unit, went to the Philippine National Police (PNP) headquarters at Camp Crame at around 7 p.m. Their relatives accompanied them.
“These five surrenderers with two other at-large suspects-policemen were identified by the kidnap victim,” Deputy Director General Ramon Apolinario, PNP deputy chief for administration, said in press briefing.
The suspects were in handcuffs and civilian clothes when they were presented to media men.
Apolinario said they came from Palawan, where they hid after news of their alleged illegal activities were revealed to the public.
Apolinario said the father of one of the suspects coordinated with the police for their surrender.
“I believe he was the one who convinced them to surrender,” said Apolinario.
The five are facing cases of kidnapping, robbery-extortion, carnapping and planting of evidence.
Two other policemen – Senior Police Officer 2 Jerry dela Torre of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group and PO3 Bernandino Pacoma of the Civil Security Group – remain at large.
They allegedly conspired with four other operatives from the Malabon police anti-drug unit, who were captured early this week, in kidnapping Norma Adrales on May 20 in Quezon City.
Adrales had just visited her boyfriend Raymond Bongabon, a drug convict at New Bilibid Prison, when the policemen snatched her from her home.
The suspects reportedly took the victim’s Starex van along with her jewelry, an iPhone 7, laptop and P6,000 cash.
They allegedly called the victim’s family and asked for P5 million in ransom. They also contacted Bongabon and demanded P2 million as ransom.
The suspects allegedly ordered the victim to transact with her Chinese contact for one kilo of shabu, which she later produced. When her family and Bongabon failed to raise the ransom money, they charged her with possession of half a kilo of shabu.
“Ninja” police officers are those who resell drugs seized in legitimate police operations.
Adrales was also subjected to physical examination at Tondo Medical Center to make it appear she was arrested.
The suspects were unaware the victim’s family sought the help of Northern Police District director Chief Superintendent Roberto Fajardo, who created a task force to go after them.
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