4 CIDG agents in Sorsogon relieved over alleged extortion

MANILA, Philippines - Four operatives of the Philippine National Police's Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) have been relieved for the alleged extortion of a barangay official in Sorsogon.

Director Benjamin Magalong, CIDG chief, ordered the relief of Senior Inspector Marvin Pedere and three other members of CIDG-Sorsogon pending the result of the probe on the complaint filed by barangay councilor Jimmy Espaldon Jr. of Barangay Mabini in Casiguran town.

The case against the CIDG agents stemmed from the raid on Espaldon's brother last May 22.

The CIDG team headed by Pedere raided the residence of the barangay official's brother in search for firearms. The team, however, found only a few ammunition that the barangay official's brother used during his training in the Army in 1996.

Pedere's team searched three more houses in the area, but they also failed to find any guns.

Despite having no yield from the raids, the operatives brought the barangay official's brother to their headquarters.

The operatives also allegedly brought the barangay official's brother to a restaurant, where he was forced to pay for the bill and asked to produce P35,000 for his release.