VM Rama asks PNP RIID to probe extort raps vs. MPG

Cebu City Vice Mayor Michael Rama wants the Regional Intelligence Investigation Division of the Philippine National Police to look into reports of extortion involving Mobile Patrol Group personnel last Thursday.

Rama, during a press conference yesterday, said that one of his foreigner friends, Tom Solomon, asked for his help regarding an incident involving another foreigner, David John Neisz, who is a friend of Solomon. He complained about the manner that Neisz was arrested.

Rama questioned why the arrest was made by MPG personnel and not by policemen from any of the city's police stations. He also wants to know why the case was not handled by the women's desk when the incident involved a sexual abuse complaint.

Neisz was reportedly arrested by five or six MPG men from Eddie's Hotel at around 5 a.m. last Thursday after someone reportedly complained of sexual abuse against the foreigner. The MPG personnel reportedly used three vehicles during the operation.

It took sometime for Rama's staff to find information about the circumstances of Neisz' arrest. Neisz had to visit all the 11 police stations in the city and the MPG headquarters at the North Reclamation Area before it was found out that the MPG were the ones who arrested him. The foreigner was able to recognize the blue MPG vehicles that were used by those who arrested him.

The arrest, was, however, not recorded in the MPG's blotter. What was indicated there was the agreement inked by Neisz and the alleged complainant, a certain Nestora Aventajado, 39, who works at the Silver Dollar night club along Osmeña Blvd. According to the entry in the blotter, both have agreed to settle Aventajado's sexual abuse complaint after Neisz paid US$4,000 or P224,000.

He said it was SPO1 Epifanio Sanjoro, an MPG investigator, who threatened to arrest him and told him that a sexual abuse case will be filed against him if he would refuse to pay the US$4,000.

Rama's staff, in a check with the personnel from Eddie's Hotel, however, found out that Aventajado is Neisz' girlfriend and that the woman frequents the hotel to visit Neisz.