3 cops face dismissal for extortion

The three city policemen, who were under summary hearing for alleged extortion activities, have been recommended for dismissal from service but they were given ten days within which to appeal the decision.

The recommendation was issued was issued by hearing officer, Sr. Insp. Rosefielo Santolorin, against SPO1 Jaime Otadoy, PO2 Raniel Capangpangan, and PO3 Rey Albotra——all former members of the defunct Vice Control Section of the Cebu City Police Office.

Senior Supt. Vicente Loot, chief of the Regional Police’s Human Resource Development Division, told The Freeman that the recommendation was released last November 27 but was finally signed by PRO-7 director, Chief Supt. Ronald Roderos last January 31. Each of the three policemen, under fire, received copies of the decision last February 13.

Aside from dismissal from service, the recommendation also moved to ban them from getting other work in government, and to forfeit all the benefits they are supposed to received from the Philippine National Police, said Loot.

Loot added that when the recommendation reaches the PNP headquarters, the salary of the three policemen will be cut off automatically and their names removed from the police roster.

Of the three, it was only Otadoy who was arrested by the National Bureau of Investigation-7 agents in an entrapment inside the VCS office, following a complaint of “extortion” by video arcade owner Ruel Lerio.

Albotra was not around during the entrapment while Capangpangan reportedly managed to elude the NBI agents and the policemen sent by then regional director Silverio Alarcio, Jr.

Alarcio earlier said that he and city police director, Sr. Supt. Patrocinio Comendador, knew about the NBI operation and wanted the three policemen arrested to serve as an example to the force that illegal activities are never condoned within the PNP ranks.

The complaint of Lerio alleged that the three policemen asked for P2.2-million in exchange of not filing non-bailable drug charges against him. He also alleged that Capangpangan and Albotra arrested him illegally from the parking lot of the Cebu Cathedral where he was waiting for his son to finish his lessons with his tutor.

Lerio accused Otadoy of “planting” a pack of shabu to serve as evidence for the filing of charges against him should he fail to give in to their demands for money. He alleged that the three policemen took him and his son to the Cebu Business Park, behing the City Police camp, where they demanded P2 million from him in exchange for his release from custody. —Edwin Ian Melecio/RAE