Taguig cop nabbed for brutality, extortion

Taguig policemen arrested Sunday night one of two policemen who allegedly beat up and extorted money from a tricycle driver in Barangay Ususan.

The arrest came after tricycle driver Mark Jason Santos, 33, filed a complaint with the Investigation and Detective Management Section (IDMS) of the city police station against Police Officers 1 Teodoro Morales and Richard Balisi for alleged police brutality and extortion.

Taguig police chief Superintendent Alfred Sotto Corpus said that at about 6 p.m. last Sunday, Santos was on his way home when Morales and Balisi hailed him for a ride. The policemen reportedly requested to be taken to Palar in Barangay Ususan. When Santos refused to drive them to Palar, which was out of his allowed route, Balisi then threatened Santos and pointed his gun at the latter. 

Balisi then ordered Santos to drive instead to Police Community Precinct (PCP)-6, where the officers are assigned. Here, Santos claimed that Morales and Balisi mauled him and asked for P10,000 in exchange for his freedom. Unable to give the full amount, Santos then offered P2,000. Once freed, the driver went to the Ospital ng Makati for a quick medical examination and went straight to the Taguig police to file his complaint.

Upon receipt of the complaint, IDMS Chief Major Celso Rodriguez said he immediately informed Senior Inspector Roberto Nobles, commander of the concerned cops, about the complaints. Rodriguez said that additional investigations were conducted, culminating in Morales’ arrest. Balisi, however, remains at large.

Taguig Mayor Sigfrido Tiñga said officials “will not tolerate such conduct from ‘police scalawags.’ No one is above the law, not even the enforcers themselves. Erring policemen should therefore be dealt with the full force of the law.”

Corpus said five criminal cases (grave threats, light coercion, serious physical injuries, robbery and extortion, and arbitrary detention) and two administrative charges (grave misconduct and conduct unbecoming of a police officer) will be filed against the two policemen. – Rhodina Villanueva