CIDG busts cop-run extortion ring

MANILA, Philippines - The Criminal Investigation and Detection Group-National Capital Region (CIDG-NCR) has busted an alleged ring of rogue police officers based at the National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) who are reportedly involved in extortion and car theft, officials said yesterday.

Inspector Rommel Macatlang of the CIDG-NCR said they are now hot on the heels of the alleged ring leaders following the arrest last Friday in Manila of Police Officer 1 Sherwin Reyes, 33, assigned at the La Loma Police Station in Quezon City.

According to the CIDG, Reyes was nabbed shortly after receiving marked money from complainant Maribel Lopez during an entrapment operation.

Lopez, a 34-year-old businesswoman, earlier told the CIDG that last March 16, her former live-in partner Rodolfo Martinez and his nephew, Joel, went to her house and borrowed her maroon 1994 Toyota Revo (WJL-249).

Later, at about 11 p.m., Lopez received a phone call from Rodolfo’s daughter, Rowena, who told her that Rodolfo and Joel had been arrested by policemen in front of the San Roque Church in Sta. Cruz and had been brought to the NCRPO headquarters at Camp Bagong Diwa in Taguig City.

At the camp, Lopez said she was met by the supposed arresting officers who informed her that Rodolfo and Joel were arrested for a drug-related offense. Lopez said the police officers demanded that she produce P150,000 for the release of the two men.

Later, the CIDG said Lopez met a certain SPO2 Hector Gubatina, who reduced the demand to P100,000. The CIDG said Lopez gave the P100,000 to the two unidentified arresting officers in the office of the Regional Mobile Group (RMG) at Camp Bagong Diwa on the night of March 17.

After giving the P100,000, Rodolfo and Joel were released. However, Lopez’s Revo remained in the custody of the supposed arresting officers.

According to the CIDG, when Lopez asked the police officers to return her van, they told her that the vehicle was part of the release “settlement.” The CIDG added that Gubatina and Reyes even demanded that Lopez give them the Revo’s original Certificate of Registration (CR) and Official Receipt (OR).

Lopez said the two continued to call her and send her text messages about the documents until she finally decided to seek the help of the CIDG. After Lopez filed her complaint, CIDG-NCR agents led by Macatlang conducted a surveillance operation and then arranged the entrapment.

Seized from Reyes during the entrapment were two Nokia cell phones containing his text messages to Lopez. He is facing charges of robbery, extortion and car theft.

Macatlang said similar charges have also been filed against Gubatina, who was identified as a police officer by the complainant. The CIDG said Gubatina fled with Lopez’s van and remains at large.

“Even if the drug charges against the two men who were arrested were true, the arresting officers should not have just released them,” said Macatlang. “Let this be a lesson to scalawag policemen.”