2 Olongapo cops held for extortion

OLONGAPO, Philippines — Two personnel of the Olongapo City police have been relieved from their posts for allegedly extorting money from two drug suspects.

Police Officer 3 Bayani Mayoyo and PO1 Sherwin Tan were recently charged with extortion and robbery before the city prosecutor’s office. They are also facing administrative charges before the Philippine National Police Internal Affairs Service.

The police officers allegedly took the ATM card of Ferdinand Pangilinan  and his wife Catherine, who were arrested during a raid on their house in Barangay East Bajac Bajac last March 3, and withdrew a total of P112,000.

The couple said the policemen also took some personal items, groceries and their two dogs.

The police officers denied the accusations.

Ex-soldier slain in drug raid

Meanwhile, a former Army soldier was killed in an alleged shootout with operatives of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) in Davao del Norte on Wednesday.

Roel Sahiron, 32, fired at PDEA agents serving a search warrant at his house in Barangay Visayan Village, Tagum at about 2:45 p.m., PDEA director general  Aaron Aquino said yesterday.

Sahiron was pronounced dead on arrival in a hospital.

Aquino said three grams of shabu with an estimated street value of P45,000, drug paraphernalia and a caliber .22 revolver were recovered from the fatality.

Sahiron’s partner Maria Shalika Cheng, 39, was arrested.

‘No drug links’

In Negros Occidental,  Gov. Alfredo Marañon Jr., Vice Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson and former congressman Jeffrey Ferrer denied allegations that they are keeping their hands off illegal drug deals in the subdivision where they are residing.

Marañon and Ferrer said they would file charges against those who accuse them of involvement in the illegal drug trade, including  a local newspaper.

Marañon dismissed the allegations as “mere gossip.” He expressed confidence that President Duterte would not believe such claims. – Bebot Sison Jr., Emmanuel Tupas, Gilbert Bayoran