Kidnap charges filed vs WPD drugbusters

Two special units of the Philippine National Police (PNP) filed kidnapping charges against the entire anti-illegal drugs team of Western Police District-Station 8, including the station commander, in connection with the P1.7-million kidnap-extortion of a Filipino-Chinese businessman.

Investigators from the Police Anti-Crime Emergency Response (PACER) team and the Anti-Illegal Drugs Special Operations Task Force (AID-SOTF) filed the kidnapping charges at the Department of Justice against seven WPD officers and five John Does.

Included in the charge sheet were Superintendent Efren Perez, Senior Inspector Wilfredo Abordo and PO1 Sieroma Prudente. Also named were SPO1 Mendoza, PO1 Cereno, PO1 Magpayo, and PO1 Baltazar.

Abordo and Prudente were arrested at Camp Crame yesterday. Perez was relieved from post for command responsibility by PNP chief Director General Hermogenes Ebdane Jr.

Except for the station commander, the officers were members of the WPD station’s newly-formed anti-drug unit.

In a report submitted by investigators to AID-SOTF commander Deputy Director General Edgar Aglipay, all seven police officers were held liable in the kidnapping of Filipino-Chinese trader Benito Chua in Las Piñas last Sunday.

Chua was freed by Abordo’s group after payment of P1.7 million in ransom the same day.

Abordo and Prudente had been tagged in other illegal police operations in Las Piñas, including the arrest of one Amado Manansala in a bid to get Chua, whose brother they claimed was involved in illegal drug activities.

The suspects then arrested another individual, whom they mistook for Chua. They eventually tracked down and abducted Chua who was driving his blue Toyota Revo in Las Piñas.

Negotiations for Chua’s release started at P50 million, which was later reduced to P2 million in negotiations with the trader’s wife. Chua was released on Sunday afternoon after his wife paid P1.7 million. He sought assistance from the PNP after his release.

The suspects later contacted the victim anew, asking him to turn over the certificate of registration of the Toyota Revo, which they took as part of the ransom.

Combined operatives of PACER and AID-SOTF traced the call to Abordo and Prudente, who were attending a conference at the AID-SOTF compound inside Camp Crame last Wednesday.

Unknown to the suspects, a team of officers asked Chua to identify his stolen vehicle at the AID-SOTF compound located just across the Police Community Relations Group (PCRG) building inside the camp while the anti-drug conference was ongoing.

Policemen arrested Prudente and Abordo when they boarded the vehicle after the conference. Both admitted involvement in the arrest of Chua, whom they said was released for lack of evidence.

The successful operations came a week after Aglipay renewed the crackdown against police scalawags particularly those involved in railroading drug case operations.

NPD Chief Pushes For Zero Extort

Northern Police District Office (NPDO) director Chief Superintendent Marcelino Franco Jr. yesterday declared that his office was dead set on attaining zero incidence of frameups, extortion activities and the infamous planting of evidence by anti-drug operatives in the Caloocan-Malabon-Navotas-Valenzuela (Camanava) area.

"Some misguided elements in the police force have become somewhat creative, exploiting certain weaknesses in the system. We want this extortion racket stopped once and for all," Franco said.

Franco’s resolve came in the wake of increasing incidents of police drug officers charged with extortion by persons they have arrested and mulcted in exchange for their freedom. The modus operandi has come to be known as "pagbabangketa," that is, releasing arrested drug suspects, whether guilty or not, by apprehending officers "as soon as they come across," sources said.

Concrete measures have been made in this direction, Franco revealed adding that this move is in response to the initiative of the National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO). Together, they have mapped out a common strategy to unmask and arrest members of local anti-drug units.

This, Franco said, has the full backing of Deputy Director General Edgar Aglipay.

"We have so far identified those we authorized to conduct anti-drug operations. We will be monitoring cases already filed and a counter-intelligence will be in motion to check their activities," Franco told The STAR. He said that the operatives will be given enough training and guidance as their task is difficult as temptations abound. He also said that a close supervision by team leaders and chiefs of police, barangay officials and other civic groups are encouraged to help in the monitoring of the cases in court so that their men are not unjustly charged or accused of fixing drug cases.

Records showed at least 36 "kotong" cops have been arrested since February this year, the latest among which involved four Chinese nationals allegedly milked of some P3 million. — with Jerry Botial