SPD cops face extort charges

Eastern Police District (EPD) director Chief Superintendent Leon Nilo de la Cruz ordered yesterday the filing of criminal charges against two policemen of the Southern Police District (SPD) for allegedly extorting money from the owner of a truck that stalled at a highway in Taguig.

Dela Cruz said extortion charges would be filed against Police Officer 2 Noel Fajardo and a still unidentified policeman of the SPD’s District Mobile Force.

Records of the SPD personnel division showed that Fajardo has not been reporting for work since.

Superintendent Eduardo Villena, head of the EPD’s District Investigation and Detective Management Division (DIDMD), said they are still trying to identify the companion of Fajardo prior to the filing of formal charges against them.

Truck owner Jess Bartolome claimed that one of his trucks bogged down at the highway in Taguig City at about 11 p.m. last July 4.

Fajardo and his companion who were wearing jackets to cover their police uniforms and nameplates, approached the truck driver and demanded P9,000 so they will not impound the stalled vehicle.

The policemen even offered to escort the truck when it is towed to the owner’s garage in Barangay Bagong Ilog in Pasig City.

Probers said the truck driver called the truck owner who called up SPD director Chief Superintendent Luizo Ticman and reported the extortion try by SPD policemen.

Ticman sent his aide-de-camp to the truck’s garage where Fajardo and his companion were waiting for the owner to pay them.

When Ticman’s aide arrived Fajardo and the other suspect, who were reportedly drunk, immediately left the garage and aborted their extortion try.

Villena said that aside from extortion charges the two policemen would also face administrative charges. – Non Alquitran