More reports of extort-kidnap cops emerge

MANILA, Philippines - With the country’s police force still smarting from public outrage triggered by the involvement of its officers in the recent kidnapping on EDSA, more reports of criminal activities allegedly perpetrated by law enforcers emerged – this time with foreigners as victims.

A Korean businessman yesterday accused four Manila police officers of extorting P30,000 from him in exchange for not filing trumped up charges against him.

Meanwhile, a Chinese businessman was handcuffed and dragged out of a Light Rail Transit (LRT) station in Caloocan City the other day, then pushed into a car where his three assailants, who claimed to be policemen, allegedly demanded P8 million or he would be framed on drug charges.

Korean tourist Cho Yong Woo, 36, temporarily residing in BF South Land Classic, Las Piñas City, told investigators at the Manila Police District (MPD)-general assignment and investigation section (GAIS) that his ordeal began after he had a fight with fellow Korean Kim Hae Sung inside a Korean restaurant in Ermita last Sept. 5 because of the latter’s failure to pay him his P500,000 debt.

He said at least 10 policemen arrived, including Senior Police Officer 1 Randy Marlon Lebrilla, Police Officer 2 Erickson Villar, Police Officer 2 Xerxes Butuyan and Police Officer 1 Andrew Garcia, all of the Mobile Patrol Unit, and accosted them.

The police officers told Kim and the other Korean they would be brought to the hospital for checkup and later to a jail for making trouble unless they cough up P100,000.

Cho said he was brought to the MPD headquarters where the cops demanded P50,000 in exchange for his freedom. But he gave them only P30,000 through his secretary.

Despite giving the money, he was brought to the Manila Prosecutor’s Office the following day for inquest proceedings for his alleged physical injury case.

He said his secretary confronted the policemen and was told that he would eventually be released from jail because they themselves would bail him out.

Cho submitted his signed sworn affidavit yesterday afternoon and vowed to pursue the case, according to Senior Police Officer 1 John Cayetano. 

Meanwhile, Chinese businessman Lin Han Zhang told investigators of the MPD through an interpreter that he managed to escape his abductors when they fell asleep after a meal in a car somewhere in northern Metro Manila.

Lin said he was about to take the LRT at about 4 p.m. on Tuesday in Monumento when two men who introduced themselves as policemen placed him in handcuffs.

He said the men took him to a white Honda Civic car with license plate ATA-888 driven by another man and divested him of his mobile phone and P2,800 cash before driving away with him.

As he was driven around, Zhang said he heard the men talking to someone on the phone. He said the men then demanded P8 million or else they would book him on drug charges. He said in the course of negotiations, the men shared food with him.

“The men parked the car in a vacant lot to rest. When they fell asleep, the victim crawled out of the car and took a bus going to Balintawak. He took a taxi and asked the driver to take him to Quiapo,” said Senior Police Officer 1 Rodel Benitez.

In Quiapo, Lin saw several police officers manning a checkpoint. Scared by police, he ran aimlessly and ended up at the Intramuros Golf Club, where a security guard saw him at around 12:30 a.m. yesterday and alerted the Intramuros police community precinct.

Lin was taken to the Ospital ng Maynila for a medical checkup before he was turned over to the MPD-GAIS.

Chief Inspector Arsenio Ripario, MPD-GAIS chief, refused to comment on the incident, saying it happened in Caloocan. He said they would turn Lin over to the Northern Police District.

Caloocan police were following up leads on the suspects last night.

At the Department of the Interior and Local Government, Secretary Manuel Roxas II ordered the National Police Commission (Napolcom) to review its list of police officers with pending criminal and administrative cases but are still on active duty.

Former PNP chief and now presidential assistant for rehabilitation and recovery Secretary Panfilo Lacson, for his part, cited the need for the PNP to undergo an intense and sustained internal cleansing.

“If the problem of cops getting involved in robbery holdups, drugs, extortion and kidnapping is not addressed vigorously, the erosion of public trust in our policemen will take its toll on the government’s overall peace and order campaign,” Lacson said.

“In case the PNP leadership hasn’t noticed, most reported crimes involving policemen mention (Police Officers) PO1s or PO2s as prominent participants,” he said.  – With Aurea Calica, Cecille Suerte Felipe, Marvin Sy, Mike Frialde