More complainants vs 8 cops in shakedown surface

MANILA, Philippines — The families of two arrested drug suspects appeared yesterday at the National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) to file separate complaints against the eight Muntinlupa City policemen who allegedly extorted P400,000 in exchange for the release of a woman and her seven-year-old child last week, police said.

“It seems that these policemen were involved in extortion for a long time. It’s about time we stop this,” NCRPO director Chief Superintendent Guillermo Eleazar said.

Eleazar warned policemen in Metro Manila that he would not hesitate to crack the whip against them if it is proven that they are involved in irregularities such as robbery, extortion and drugs.

The families of Edgar Paladin and Jhun Gonzaga appeared at the NCRPO headquarters yesterday.

They claimed that the same group of Muntinlupa policemen tried to extort P50,000 each from them for the release of Paladin and Gonzaga.

Paladin and Gonzaga were arrested by policemen headed by Senior Police Officer 1 Psylo Joe Jimenez on July 3.

Jimenez and his cohort, known only as Moises, supposedly demanded P50,000 from Paladin’s wife, Sheryl. The amount was lowered to P15,000 after negotiations. 

The policemen directed Sheryl to produce the amount before the 36- hour reglementary period lapsed so the charges against Paladin could be lowered to drug possession instead of drug pushing, according to Eleazar.

Sheryl filed a complaint with the Counter Intelligence Task Force headed by Senior Superintendent Romeo Caramat.

Caramat said it turned out that Jimenez had filed charges against Paladin and Gonzaga after Sheryl failed to meet the payment deadline.

Last Friday, operatives of the NCRPO Regional Special Operations Unit arrested Jimenez along with PO3 Romeo Par, PO2 Farvy de la Cruz and PO1 Jon-jon Averion during a raid on the Muntinlupa police station drug enforcement unit after they allegedly extorted P400,000 from Abner Bumatay, 35, in exchange for the release of his partner Glaiza Iglesias, 33, and their child.

Four other policemen – Inspector Mark Kevin Pesigan, SPO1 Edgardo Zervoulakos, PO3 Charlie Miranda and PO3 Rhoderick Salvador – managed to escape.

They were declared AWOL or absent without leave by Eleazar after they failed to report to work yesterday.

Charges of kidnapping, robbery and extortion have been filed against the suspects before the Muntinlupa City prosecutor’s office.

The NCRPO chief appealed to other victims of the group to come out and file charges against the police officers.