Anti-kotong drive nets two cops, 6 MMDA men

Two Parañaque City traffic policemen and six traffic enforcers of the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) were arrested last Thursday by elements of the National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) in separate anti-kotong (mulcting) operations in Manila.

NCRPO chief Director Ricardo de Leon said the latest arrests brought their haul to 38 policemen, 19 MMDA enforcers, 23 local traffic enforcers, an ex-policeman, an anti-pollution officer and a civilian since launching a campaign against mulcting cops last February.

"Our campaign against erring cops will be without letup," said De Leon as he urged motorists and drivers to immediately report abusive cops to the DILG Police Assistance Hotline 117 or Text 117.

A team headed by Superintendent Renato Gumban, head of the NCRPO’s Counter-Intelligence and Special Office (CISU), arrested PO2s Anthony Alising, 31, and Gersel Diaros, 36, both assigned at the Police Community Precinct 1 of the Parañaque City police at 9 p.m. last Thursday.

In his report to De Leon, Gumban said Alising and Diaros had been the subject of a complaint by drivers and operators of passenger jeepneys and FX taxis plying Redemptorist Road.

A week’s surveillance and stake outs revealed that the two cops have been using a barker, identified as Rolando Gallano, in their extortion racket. Initial investigation showed that Gallano collects money from drivers plying the area. He then turns the cash over to Alising.

Gumban said they recovered P200 marked money from Alising and Diaros, who chose to remain silent on the charges against them.

The same CISU team also collared MMDA traffic enforcers Renato Grimaldo, Feliciano Mallari and Ronald Martin along Roxas Boulevard also in Parañaque for allegedly demanding P50 from a truck driver they arrested for a traffic violation.

Joel Punzalan, also of the MMDA, was arrested at the corner of EDSA and Tramo in Pasay City for extorting P100 from a 42-year-old motorist while Menandro Olpindo and Rolando Rivera were collared for forcibly demanding P700 from a motorist in exchange for his confiscated driver’s license.