Four Malabon cops fall; Duterte offers ₱2 M for 7 cops in kidnap-extort case
Four Malabon cops assigned with the Drug Enforcement Unit (DEU) were arrested Monday after allegedly abducting and extorting money from the partner of a convicted carjacker detained at the national penitentiary.
Northern Police Director (NPD) Chief Supt. Roberto Fajardo identified the suspects as Senior Police Officer 2 (SPO2) Ricky Pelicano, Police Of-
ficer 2 (PO2) Wilson Sanchez, Police Officer 1(PO1) Joselito Ereneo, and Police Officer 1 (PO1) Frances Camua.
Seven other cop-cohorts - PO3s Luis Hizon Jr., Jovito Roque and Michael Angelo Solomon; PO2 Michael Huerto; and PO1 Ricky Lamsen, all of the Malabon City Police DEU; and SPO2 Jerry dela Torre of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) and PO3 Bernardo Pacoma of the Civil Security Group (CSG) are now the subject of a police manhunt.
“I advise those who are at large to surrender and face the accusations against them. Otherwise, to the full extent of the law, we will make sure that arrests will be made in the coming days,” Director Oscar Albayalde, chief of the National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) said.
President Duterte has offered P2 million for any information that would lead to the arrest of the seven copsuspects.
Senior Supt. Chiquito Malayo, commander of the Counter-Intelligence Task Force (CITF) said the information was relayed to him by PNP Chief Director General Ronald dela Rosa who is with the President in Russia.
Fajardo said the lady partner of the convicted carjacker was abducted by at least 10 bonnet-wearing men from her house in Barangay Veterans Village in Quezon City at around 2 p.m. on May 20. The abductors turned out to be members of Malabon’s DEU.
The woman said she was brought to the Malabon Police Station.
The complainant said the copsuspects made a report making it appear she was arrested in a “buy-bust” operation in Letre, Malabon.
The cop-suspects, she said took her phone, R6,000 cash, and her STAREX van.
Shabu as ransom On May 21, the suspects allegedly told the complainant she would only be released if her family could produce a kilo of shabu.
Fajardo said the erring cops forced the victim to transact with her Chinese contact for a kilo of shabu which was supposed to be picked up in a hotel in Novaliches, Quezon City. The boyfriend of the victim who is detained at the National Bilibid Prison (NBP) promised to produce the shabu demand, Fajardo added.
The cop-suspects still held the complainant in custody despite receiving a kilo of the illegal drug and demanded P5 million for her release. The amount was reportedly lowered to a million, Fajardo said.
Investigation showed NPD and Counter Intelligence Task Force (CITF) policemen entrapped the four cop-suspects inside the Malabon Police before noon Monday after the complainant sought their help.
“I will never tolerate such disgrace to (the) PNP. Scalawag cops must be jailed. I do not and will not ever tolerate erring personnel nor will condone criminal acts committed by my policemen,” Fajardo stressed.
“We are bringing these records out so that hopefully the public may be encouraged to help us identify further those who are the undesirable policemen in their communities so that we can institute proper action against them, the support of the public is paramount in reporting erring policemen as partners in cleansing our ranks,” he said in a statement.
Fajardo has ordered the relief of all Malabon DEU personnel including its chief Senior Insp. Bobby Mario Egera.
Meanwhile, Pelicano, Sanchez, Ereneo and Camua were taken to the Department of Justice yesterday where they underwent inquest proceedings over charges of robbery, kidnapping, carnapping and violation of the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002. (With a report from Jeffrey G. Damicog)