Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, May 23) — Four policemen from the Malabon City Police Station’s Drug Enforcement Unit were arrested for alleged kidnapping and a P2-million extortion attempt, officials said.
The Philippine National Police’s Counter-Intelligence Task Force (CITF) said the four were arrested early Monday after the family of kidnap victim identified as “Norma,” reported her abduction, the robbery of her valuables and her van, and the extortion demand.
Seven other police officers from the Philippine National Police’s Civil Security Group and Criminal Investigation & Detection Group are still at large for their involvement in the crime, it said in a statement received late Monday.
The rogue policemen were caught early Monday in an entrapment operation. This stemmed from the complaint of the family of a 53-year-old woman who was forcibly taken by the police officers in Quezon City on May 20 after she visited her alleged partner, a detainee, at the Medium Security compound in Bilibid, Muntinlupa, the CITF said.
The CITF said the police officers asked the victim to negotiate with her Chinese contact for one kilo of methamphetamine or shabu in exchange for her release. The rogue policemen received the shabu but demanded one million pesos, which was lowered from the original two million-peso figure, the CITF added.
The four arrested Malabon police, identified as SPO2 Ricky Pelicano, PO2 Wilson Sanchez, PO1 Joselito Ereneo, and PO1 Frances Camua, are detained at the CITF headquarters where administrative and criminal charges will be filed against them. Other members of the Malabon City Police Station’s Drug Enforcement Unit were relieved.
Relentless efforts to clean PNP
Metro Manila police chief Police Director Oscar Albayalde said they will pursue their campaign to rid the police force of erring officers.
“We are together in these efforts of cleansing our ranks. We will remain relentless and will provide the necessary support to all operating units working in our jurisdiction so that our campaign will gain results like this,” he said in a statement Tuesday.
Albayalde also advised the seven police officers to surrender and urged the public to report any information that will lead to the arrest of the remaining seven.
The PNP in February formed a counter-intelligence task force to rid the police force of rogue officers. This came after the kidnap-slay of South Korean businessman Jee Ick-joo in October 2016 that was allegedly masterminded by police officers.
CNN Philippines correspondent Gerg Cahiles contributed to this report.
