Cops accused of asking grease money face raps

CEBU, Philippines - The Office of the Ombudsman for the Military led the indictment of three police officers assigned at the Talisay City Police Station who allegedly demanded money from the family of an arrested woman.

Graft investigator Avelino Macamus Jr. recommended the filing of a robbery case in court against PO2 Roy Sarsaba, PO3 Eric Enad and PO2 Martin Gorodin III a.k.a PO2 Francisco Keyserling Martin Gorosin III after filing probable cause.

Macamus recommended bail at P100,000 for each of the accused.

The complainants in the case are Elvincito Baguio and Analou Nacario of Upper Linao, Talisay City. The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) 7 assisted them in filing the complaint.

The complainants said it was at 2:30 pm on August 14, 2009 when elements of the Talisay City Police Station, including the respondents in the case, conducted a saturation drive against illegal drugs in Barangay Tanke, Talisay City.

Police said while passing First Street, Sitio Galaxy, Barangay Tanke, they saw a woman later identified as Maridel Obrero at a corner holding a small silver pack suspected to be shabu.

Obrero allegedly attempted to escape when she saw the cops, but she was cornered and arrested and brought to the Talisay City Police Station where she was charged for drug possession, a violation of Republic Act 9165 or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act. The offense is non-bailable.

The complainants alleged that on that very same day, Sarsaba called them and asked for P100,000 in exchange for shelving the case against Obrero. However, because they could not raise the amount, the cop allegedly agreed to reduce the same to P50,000.

Complainants said they then sought help from the NBI and an entrapment operation led by agent Bernard dela Cruz was conducted. With the NBI agents shadowing him, Elvincito proceeded to the area in Talisay City where he was supposed to give P30,000 to Sarsaba.

Agents who were in the area reportedly saw the Talisay City Patrol Car stop in front of Elvincito and the latter was made to hop in. Elvincito said Sarsaba asked why he only brought P30,000 but still allegedly accepted the money. After, he was made to alight the vehicle and the patrol car sped away.

The agents tried to chase the patrol car but failed to catch up. They then decided to proceed to the Talisay City Police Station and asked the policemen there to produce the subjects of their entrapment operation. However, former Talisay Police Chief Supt. Henry Biñas told them he had ordered his men to report to the PNP Provincial Director for investigation.

In their counter-affidavit, the accused denied the accusations claiming it was “fabricated and distortion of the truth.” They claimed they arrested Obrero during a saturation drive over the possession of shabu.

They also denied they were in the area when an entrapment operation was conducted by the NBI.

But Macamus said the complainants’ statement were “more worthy of credence.”

“What makes the complaint credible and more reliable is the participation therein of the National Bureau of Investigation operatives who have attempted to entrap the respondents but appeared to have been cleverly avoided by the latter,” the resolution reads.

Macamus said “the claims of the accused that they were somewhere else at the time they were being entrapped and chased by the NBI, the same is less believable.” (FREEMAN)