Cop arrested for extortion

The campaign waged by the National Capital Regional Police Office (NCRPO) against "kotong" cops snared a rookie policeman who allegedly tried to extort P1,000 from two motorists he accosted for driving vehicles without license plates.

Metro police chief Director Ricardo de Leon said suspect PO1 Randy Gallardo became the 22nd policeman arrested for "kotong" and the first cop to abuse the "no plate, no travel" policy.

"The number of kotong cops we have booted out should be warning enough for others engaged in extortion activities that the public is vigilant against their practices and that they will be caught," De Leon stressed.

In his report , Superintendent Agustin Cabales Jr., commander of Station 4 of the Central Police District (CPD), said Gallardo was flagging down plate-less vehicles at 8:45 p.m. last at the corner of Pelaez street and Boni Serrano Avenue in Murphy, Quezon City.

Among those Gallardo accosted were Efren Asuncion, of Project 4 and Orlando Francisco of Murphy, Cubao.

Initial investigation revealed that Gallardo demanded from Asuncion and Francisco P1,000 each in exchange for letting them go.

De Leon said the victims agreed to shell out the money, but before doing so reported Gallardo’s extortion activities to Cabales, who immediately sent out a police team to have the mulcting cop arrested.

Gallardo introduced himself as a policeman assigned at the Regional Headquarters Support group based in Camp Bagong Diwa in Bucutan, Taguig.

"He earned the distinction of being the very first policeman to abuse the implementation of the "no plate, no travel" policy," De Leon said.

The NCRPO director reiterated that the implementation of the policy is a responsibility of the Traffic Enforcement Group (TEG), the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) and the Land Transportation Office (LTO).

"Only those who are assigned to traffic and those deputized by the MMDA can apprehend violators of the policy and other traffic violations within Metro Manila," De Leon said.

De Leon ordered a background investigation against Gallardo. He is detained at Station 4 headquarters in Quezon City while charges are being readied against him.