2 cops tagged in kidnap surface

SAN FERNANDO, Pampanga — Two policemen tagged in the alleged kidnapping for ransom of a suspected drug pusher have surfaced to deny the allegations, saying it was a legitimate drug sting.

Senior Superintendent Leonardo Espina, Pampanga police director, told reporters yesterday that Senior Inspector Jose Mari Basa and PO3 Alberto Dizon separately gave themselves up to shed light on the incident.

Espina said Dizon went to his office last Friday, while Basa, escorted by his lawyers, showed up Monday.

The two policemen, according to Espina, denied abducting suspected drug pusher Randy Ocampo, saying he was arrested in a legitimate anti-illegal drug operation in Barangay Dau, Mabalacat town.

Basa’s men allegedly nabbed Ocampo together with another suspected drug pusher and brought them to Magalang town where they contacted and demanded money from Ocampo’s family in exchange for his release.

Espina said Basa and Dizon were turned over to the city prosecutor’s office for inquest, but the prosecutor ordered them released and the case against them scheduled for preliminary investigation.

Earlier, police filed kidnapping-for-ransom charges against PO1 Darwin David, civilian informer Robert Canda, Basa and Dizon.

Canda was caught in the act of receiving the ransom at a pizza parlor in Angeles City, and David in a follow-up operation.

The two, now detained at the Mabalacat police station, tagged Basa as the mastermind.

Basa headed the intelligence and operations section of the Mabalacat police, while Dizon was assigned to the Traffic Enforcement Group of the Angeles City police.

Administrative cases have also been filed against the three policemen.

Basa and Dizon are under the custody of the provincial police.