Shape up or face relief

National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) Director Ricardo de Leon warned his 37 station commanders in Metro Manila yesterday to shape up or face relief amid the rampant "hulidap" and extortion rackets officers in the guise of a legitimate anti-drug operations.

De Leon issued his warning a day after relieving Manila police station chief for command responsibility following complaints that his men were involved in extortion operations last week.

"This is my last warning to station commanders — either they shape up or they will be relieved. I will not hesitate to sack them if they fail to implement standard operating procedures in the conduct of anti-drug operations," De Leon said in an interview during the 31st founding anniversary of the Eastern Police District (EPD) yesterday.

De Leon explained that all anti-drug officers must be armed with a pre-operations report duly approved by the station commanders.

The raiders must be in proper uniform, armed with search or arrest warrants and must have properly coordinated their operation either with the station commander, district director or his office.

The proper receiving of evidence and logging on the police blotter of arrested suspects must be accomplished before the preparation of a spot report.

The raiders should also forward for laboratory examination the evidence confiscated, not less than six hours after the operations.

"If we accomplish these procedure it means that our anti-drug operations are above board and nobody can accuse us of any wrongdoing," he said.

Like in the case of the alleged shakedown in Manila , De Leon said a station commander could be sacked for command responsibility if he fails to stop his men from conducting bangketa, hulidap and extortion rackets.

He also reiterated his call for the disbandment of all anti-drug units in the station level and deploy displaced personnel to street duties.

3 Cops Released

A city prosecutor ordered yesterday the release for further investigation of three Mandaluyong City policemen arrested last Wednesday by elements of the Anti-Illegal Drugs Special Operations Task Force (AID-SOTF) for allegedly extorting P150,000 from a relative of an arrested drug pusher.

Assistant City Prosecutor II Flor Silao ordered the release of SPO34 Rodel Castalone, head of the Drug Enforcement Unit (DEU) of the Mandaluyong City police, and his two men PO1 Salvador del Mundo and PO1 Jefferson Gonzales after reviewing evidence forwarded by AID-SOTF.

"Considering that the evidence being alleged in the complaint does not fall under the warrantless arrest, it is deemed that the accused policemen should be released for further investigation," said part of Silao’s decision as quoted by Superintendent Ericson Velasquez, Mandaluyong City police chief.

Velasquez said AID-SOTF filed Thursday night extortion cases against Castalone, del Mundo, Gonzales and errand boy Danny Soriano before the Mandaluyong City prosecutor’s office.

Soriano, Velasquez said, signed a waiver of detention for his continued stay at the Mandaluyong City detention center.

Silao had asked Soriano to explain why P20,000 in marked money was found in his possession.

According to Velasquez, AID-SOTF also clarified that Castalone, Del Mundo and Gonzales were not arrested, but "invited for questioning" on the strength of a complaint by the mother of a drug suspect. The complainant claimed DEU operatives asked P50,000 for the release of her son or P30,000 for the downgrading of charges.

The three DEU operatives vehemently denied the accusation. In his report to Chief Superintendent Oscar Valenzuela, director of the Eastern Police District (EPD), Velasquez said the complainant, who has five pending drug cases in court, concocted the extortion story to destroy the credibility of the arresting officers.