6 NPD cops face kidnap, car theft, robbery raps

Two rankling Northern Police District officers and four policemen of the Northern Police District (NPD) intelligence unit were relieved from their posts yesterday after a complaint linked them to the kidnapping, car theft and robbery of six Mindanao traders in Manila three weeks ago.

NPDO director Chief Superintendent Vidal Querol ordered yesterday his own officers and men, assigned at the District Police Intelligence Unit (DPIU), restricted to quarters and disarmed.

Querol ordered the immediate relief of Chief Inspector Michael Angelo Martin, Inspector Allarjing Medina, PO3 Arnold Asis, POs2 Pedro Gutierrez, Nilo de la Paz and Antonio Darida, all of the NPD DPIU, after receiving a report that the cops have been criminally charged before the National Capital Regional Police Office’s (NCRPO) Intelligence and Investigation Division.

Regional Intelligence and Investigation Division (RIID) chief Superintendent Cipriano Querol Jr. also said that aside from the criminal charges, complainants Maca-Angoos, Samera, Ansary, all three surnamed Alawiya; Jameel Maamor, Isagani Abdul and Zarah Lengco are set to file administrative charges against the policemen.

Investigation showed that on Sept. 11 at around 10 a.m., the victims were on board Alawiya’s Mitsubishi Pajero cruising along United Nations Avenue in Manila when they were suddenly bumped by a blue Toyota Sedan.

The victims alighted to inspect the damage to their vehicle but were surprised when the Toyota sedan passengers alighted and poked handguns at them.

One of the suspects allegedly shoved Maca-Angoos and Abdul toward the blue sedan before they were blindfolded while Lengco was shoved back into the Pajero. They were allegedly all brought to an undisclosed place where they were detained for several days.

The cops then demanded P3 million from the victims and two vehicles, a Toyota Revo and Tamaraw FX, in exchange for their freedom. The victims allegedly agreed only to P700,000 and the two vehicles.

The vehicles were allegedly delivered at a restaurant in Caloocan City while the money was brought in at the Grand Boulevard Hotel at 10 p.m. the same day by the victims.

Despite giving in to their demands, the victims were only released at around 4 a.m. the following day in Quiapo, Manila shortly after taking possession of the two cars’ official receipts and certificates of registration.