Aglipay: Report 'hulidap' cops

Metro Manila police director Chief Superintendent Edgar Aglipay ordered yesterday a close monitoring of the activities of the so-called "hulidap" rogue policemen, especially those hitting on gambling collectors.

At the same time, he urged Metro Manila residents to file complaints directly to him or to the five police district directors in the metropolis as he vowed that severe punishment awaits the inept, corrupt and undisciplined (ICU) policemen who openly defy the current reform campaign within the Philippine National Police (PNP).

"We encourage you to report such cases to us. You may not give your name but please provide us with necessary information and I assure you we will double-check and mete out punishments," said Aglipay.

The rampant cases of "hulidap" operations conducted by erring policemen kept pouring into Aglipay's office since PNP chief Deputy Director General Panfilo Lacson ordered police station commanders not to accept "tong" money from vice groups, sidewalks vendors and jeepney drivers.

"Hulidap" cops is the name given to rouge policemen who would apprehend crime suspects, mostly gambling bookies, nightclub operators, drug pushers and hospitality girls and commercial sex workers, with the sole purpose of extorting money from them. Once the suspects come across, they are freed without the filing of charges against them.

Aglipay directed his deputy for administration and concurrent head of the Regional Investigation and Intelligence Committee (RIIC), Chief Superintendent Efren Fernandez to unmask these "hulidap" cops and punish them.

Upon receipt of Aglipay's directive, Fernandez mobilized some 350 policemen under RIIC, which were deployed in the five police districts in Metro Manila, to establish the identifies of rogue cops and possibly have their illegal operations videotaped.

"We want a tight case against them so that when they are dismissed from the service and others would not follow their bad example," said Aglipay.

He also ordered Fernandez to look into reports that the 37 station commanders in Metro Manila are openly defying Lacson's directive for them not to accept "tong" money by using civilians in collecting "payola" from vice and flesh trade operators.

Aglipay also refused to be dragged into another round of word war with the Metro Manila mayors when he cleared them of involvement on "fund-raising" activities.

Earlier, at least seven Metro Manila mayors demanded for Aglipay's ouster, accusing him of not consulting them in the replacement of local police chiefs.