QCPD station chief, 10 others axed for extortion

MANILA, Philippines — A Quezon City police station commander and all 10 members of the station’s drug enforcement unit (SDEU) were relieved from their posts yesterday following a complaint that they allegedly extorted P300,000 in exchange for the release of a suspect arrested for drugs.

Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Director General Oscar Albayalde ordered the relief of Superintendent Igmedio Bernaldez, commander of the Quezon City Police District (QCPD) Station 11 in Galas, SDEU head Chief Inspector Erwin Guevarra and nine other policemen.

“All of them have been relieved, including the commander,” Albayalde said in a news briefing in Baguio City yesterday.

Albayalde clarified that Bernaldez’s relief does not mean he is involved in the illegal activities of his men.

“It is better to remove the police commander to give way to an investigation,” the PNP chief said.

Bernaldez and Guevarra were relieved for command responsibility, Albayalde said.

Police Officer 2  Noel Sanchez and PO1s Edward Ramos, Michael Eric Ramirez, Ray John Rodriguez, Gaudencio Escoton Jr., Sepzon Suclad, John Ryan Rodriguez, Dennis Eria and Leny Atma were arrested and disarmed by operatives of the District Intelligence Division and Special Operations Unit, according to QCPD director Chief Superintendent Joselito Esquivel.

Members of the Special Weapons and Tactics unit of the QCPD joined the operation to avoid confrontation.

The anti-narcotics agents allegedly demanded P300,000 for the release of Flexis Jeffrey Soriano, 40.

Soriano and two others, Efren Ferrer, 45, and Celso Felicisimo Luna, 30, were supposedly arrested during a drug bust at around 4:30 a.m. on Thursday.

The police officers allegedly demanded P200,000 from Soriano’s relatives for his release.

Soriano’s family gave the amount at around 9:30 a.m.

The anti-drug operatives supposedly demanded another P100,000, prompting Soriano to seek help from the QCPD. 

Investigators later found that the SDEU only filed the spot report of Soriano’s arrest at around 9:30 p.m.

The spot report indicated that Soriano and the two others were apprehended at around 6 p.m. at the corner of E. Rodriguez and Tomas Morato in Barangay Kristong Hari.

The suspects supposedly yielded three sachets of shabu and a .38-caliber handgun.

The anti-drug operatives are being held at the QCPD headquarters at Camp Karingal on charges of robbery and extortion as well as administrative cases. 

National Capital Region Police Office chief Director Camilo Cascolan vowed to dismiss the policemen from the service if evidence warrants.

Cascolan said they would conduct an investigation to determine if there was irregularity in the arrest of the drug suspects. – With Non Alquitran, Emmanuel Tupas, Artemio Dumlao