6 fall in anti-extort drive

Three policemen, a dismissed cop and two civilians have been arrested as a result of an intensified drive by the National Capital Regional Police Office (NCRPO) against "kotong" or extort cops in Metro Manila.

Metro police chief Director Ricardo de Leon warned the public to be more vigilant and to watch out for corrupt members of the Philippine National Police (PNP) and other persons posing as cops engaged in extortion activities.

"The primary means of preventing these hooligans from preying on our citizens is simply not to entertain their efforts in extortion," De Leon stressed.

De Leon identified the arrested suspects as PO2 Martin Ascutia, 36 and PO1 Sherwin Reyes, 27, both of the La Loma police station; SPO1 Christian Abrasaldo, 42, of the District Headquarters Support Unit (DHSU) of the Manila police, dismissed cop Virgilio Ferrer and civilians Eduardo Domingo, 50, and Raymundo Odulio, 38.

The latest haul brought to 31 the number of policemen, traffic enforcers of the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) and civilians arrested for extortion since De Leon launched his anti-kotong drive last December.

The arrest of the suspects were effected after their extortion activities were reported by their victims to the "Sagot Ko ‘Yan" radio program co-hosted by De Leon and Interior and Local Government Secretary Joey Lina and the DILG Text 117 and DILG Police Assistance Hotline 117.

First to fall was Ferrer, a resident of Palmera Homes in San Jose del Monte, in Bulacan.

Ferrer was arrested by the men of Chief Superintendent Marcelino Franco Jr., Northern Police District (NPD) director, while in the act of collecting P600 from a mini-carnival owner in Malanday, Valenzuela.

Abrasaldo, Domingo and Odulio were arrested after a tailor, Roberto Pilapil, of Arkong Bato also in Valenzuela City reported at DILG Patrol 117 that the trio defrauded him of P2,000.

Pilapil said the suspects introduced themselves as personnel of the city’s business and license permit office and demanded the said amount in exchange for a calling card, a ticket with the "Police Herald Inc." markings and an MMDA sticker.

De Leon dispatched Superintendent Rogelio Damazo, NCRPO intelligence chief along a stretch of Araneta Avenue yesterday amid reports that policemen were extorting money from vegetable and fish vendors.

Damazo said Ascutia and Reyes were collared while in the act of collecting P10 and P20 from fish and vegetable delivery truck drivers at the corner of Araneta Avenue, and Retiro street in Quezon City at 3:30 a.m. yesterday.

De Leon also ordered Damazo to arrest of a certain SPO4 De Vera who was allegedly behind the rampant extortion activities against vendors in Caloocan City. — Non Alquitran