MANILA, Philippines - A third policeman has been implicated in an extortion complaint filed by a couple earlier this week, after the policemen reportedly accused them of indecency and tried to extort P20,000 from them.
Police Officer 1 Christopher Lucky Dee dela Peña has not reported for work at the Quezon City Police District Station 11 since last Tuesday’s incident, said QCPD director Chief Superintendent Richard Albano.
Albano ordered Dela Peña’s superior, QCPD Station 11 commander Superintendent Victor Pagulayan, to locate the missing police officer.
QCPD deputy director for administration Senior Superintendent Joel Pagdilao said Dela Peña should also be disarmed.
Pagdilao said Dela Peña has apparently gone AWOL (absent without official leave), considering that the police force was on heightened alert for the Labor Day celebration yesterday.
Dela Peña was tagged – along with Police Officers 1 Ronald Que Englis, 39, Roland Roman Mansibang, 28 – in the alleged extortion incident in New Manila, said Chief Inspector Rodel Marcelo, head of the QCPD-Criminal Investigation and Detection Unit.
The couple claimed they were threatened that they would be charged with public scandal if they did not shell out P20,000.
Marcelo said the woman happened to know PNP spokesperson Chief Superintendent Reuben Sindac, who came to the couple’s rescue.
But when Sindac and the couple’s families arrived, the three were no longer there at the scene. During follow-up operations, only Mansibang and Englis were arrested.
Attempted robbery, drug possession
Inspector Alan dela Cruz said Mansibang and Englis both underwent inquest proceedings on Wednesday night for robbery.
The inquest fiscal recommended the filing of a case for attempted robbery against Mansibang. The fiscal recommended further investigation on the robbery case filed against Englis and Dela Peña.
A separate case for drug possession was filed against Englis after a teabag of marijuana found in his motorcycle. The complaint will also be subjected to further investigation.
Pagdilao said the three also facing administrative complaints for grave misconduct, which is punishable with dismissal from the service since extortion is considered a grave offense.
‘Another Dela Peña’
The most recent extortion complaint brought to police officials’ minds another high-profile incident two years ago.
The 2012 extortion complaint filed by a son of then Metro Manila police head, Director Leonardo Espina – who has since been promoted to the rank of Deputy Director General – involved Senior Police Officer 4 Jose dela Peña.
But the new suspect in the extortion case earlier this week is a different and younger Dela Peña, officials said.
SPO4 Dela Peña was dismissed from the police service after a list of past grave offenses, a number of them involving extortion, surfaced after the much-publicized incident involving Espina’s son.