‘Kotong’ dragnet

Two policemen and two traffic enforcers have been arrested by agents of the National Capital Regional Police Office (NCRPO) for extorting money from motorists following a renewed campaign against kotong cops and other scalawags in the force.

"These scalawags are no different to the common criminals on the street. They prey on the hard-working and decent individuals in our society," NCRPO chief Deputy Director General Reynaldo Velasco said.

Senior Superintendent Gil Meneses, head of the NCRPO Intelligence and Investigation Division (RIID) that conducted the entrapment operation, identified the suspects as SP01 Edwin Comia, 47, of Kalayaan Village, Pasay City, and P03 Alex Gener, 29, of Bicutan, Taguig. Both are detailed with the Police Community Precinct 1 of the Taguig police station.

They were arrested in an entrapment operation conducted at about 4:15 p.m. last Wednesday at the FTI Complex in Taguig.

Meneses said the operation was conducted after the police received a complaint lodged with the NCRPO by one of their victims.

Philippine Air Force officer Diomedes Manalo said he was riding his motorcycle Monday night when he was accosted by the suspects for not wearing a helmet.

At the police station, Manalo said the two officers demanded 4,000 in exchange for his release and the non-filing of charges. They also demanded an additional P14,000 for the return of his confiscated firearm, a caliber .45 pistol.

Police said the rogue cops scheduled a pay-off last Wednesday afternoon inside the FTI Complex, where RIID agents later set up the entrapment.

Meanwhile, a another entrapment operation by RIID agents led to the arrest of Warlito Canauay, 34 a Makati Department of Public Safety enforcer, who was reportedly preying on motorists along C-5 Road near Kalayaan in Buting, Makati City.

In Malabon, another traffic enforcer, Rolando Lumaban, 38, did not resist arrest when he was nabbed by operatives of the Northern Police District after extorting money from 44-year-old driver Federico Camarao. The operation was conducted at around 1 p.m. at the corner of Del Monte Street, Governor Pascual.

Police said robbery/extortion and administrative charges have been filed against the four suspects who were presented by the NCRPO at Camp Crame yesterday.