Police precinct chief axed
MANILA, Philippines — Three police officers were arrested for allegedly extorting P200 to P500 from junkshop owners in Valenzuela City on Tuesday night.
Senior Police Officer 4 Seraffin Adante and Police Officers 1 Ryan Paul Antimaro and Rey Harvey Florano, all assigned with the Police Community Precinct (PCP) 8 of the Valenzuela police, were nabbed along with their civilian cohort, Amado Baldon Jr.
City police chief Senior Superitendent David Poklay relieved PCP 8 commander Senior Inspector Adonis Escamillan from his post for command responsibility.
The suspects were apprehended in an entrapment operation conducted by operatives of the Philippine National Police Counter-Intelligence Task Force (CITF) in coordination with National Capital Region Police Office director Chief Superintendent Guillermo Eleazar.
CITF chief Senior Superintendent Romeo Caramat Jr. said the operation stemmed from information provided by the PNP Intelligence Group that the suspects were extorting money from junkshop owners.
“They were supposedly collecting P200 to P500 every night from each junkshop in Valenzuela,” Caramat said.
The suspects allegedly conducted their scheme while patroling in a police car equipped with global positioning system and dashboard cameras.
Police said the suspects were placed under surveillance prior to their arrest.
The suspects are being held at the CITF headquarters at Camp Crame in Quezon City.
PNP chief Director General Oscar Albayalde expressed dismay over the involvement of policemen in extortion, robbery and other illegal activities.
“They still resort to extortion despite the fact that our salaries have been doubled,” Albayalde said.
In the PNP salary structure, a police officer receives a minimum monthly base pay of P29,668 on top of the allowances.
A police officer with a rank of SPO4 like Adante, who has been in the police service for 23 years, receives a monthly pay of P35,456.
Albayalde ordered the PNP units involved in the recruitment and selection process to be strict in conducting background investigation of applicants to prevent scalawags from entering the police force. – With Marc Jayson Cayabyab