Quezon City cop nabbed for extortion

MANILA, Philippines - A policeman was arrested by his colleagues in the Quezon City Police District (QCPD) Thursday as he attempted to encash a check he allegedly extorted from a businessman.

Senior Police Officer 1 Renato Pongco faces charges of robbery-extortion and has undergone inquest proceedings Thursday, according to Superintendent Jesus Balingasa, commander of the QCPD Station 10.

Superintendent Lino Banaag, head of the QCPD-Criminal Investigation and Detection, said Senior Police 1 Venerando Sera Jose and Police Officer 1 Dexter Zinampan have been charged with the same offense for being in the same patrol car as Pongco at the time the alleged extortion happened. Reporters tried to get Pongco’s side but he refused to comment.

Balingasa said Pongco, 44, was caught at a branch of Eastwest Bank on Timog Avenue at around 2 p.m. Thursday in possession of a pay-to-cash check that he got from complainant Vincent Papa, 35, earlier in the day.

Balingasa said it was at around 2 a.m. when a patrol car blocked the path of Papa’s vehicle along Kalayaan Avenue.

“Pongco allegedly confronted the complainant over a traffic violation. The complainant asked what particular violation he committed but the policeman could not say anything. In the end, the policeman allegedly demanded P30,000 from the complainant,” Balingasa said in an interview.

After Papa said he did not have any money and showed to the policeman his empty wallet, Papa offered a blank check that the policeman allegedly readily accepted.

Balingasa said at around 9 a.m., Pongco went to the bank to encash the check. Balingasa said Pongco had even written his name on the check and P15,000 as the amount. However, the bank turned Pongco down since the check needed two signatures and it only had Papa’s signature.

Pongco came back at around 2 p.m. that same day, but unknown to him, Papa had already alerted the bank and the police about the circumstances surrounding the check.   – Reinir Padua