PNP arrests fake cop offering height waiver to applicant

MANILA, Philippines – Operatives of the Philippine National Police Integrity Monitoring and Enforcement Group (PNP IMEG) have arrested a man posing as a cop and offering a height waiver to a woman applying to be a police officer to extort cash.

A report from the PNP-IMEG on Monday identified the 59-year-old suspect as Robel Yap Canlas, who was collared at around 5 p.m. Sunday in Barangay San Rafael, Rodriguez, Rizal, after allegedly receiving P4,000 from the complainant.

According to police, the complainant reported that sometime in August 2018, the suspect introduced himself as SPO2 Gerome Canlas and offered assistance to help her in securing a height waiver in exchange of P40,000.

In the old PNP ranking system, SPO2 stood for senior police officer 2, which is now called senior master sergeant.

Lt. Col. Renante Lambojo, officer-in-charge, chief-of-staff of the PNP-IMEG, said the victim was 4 feet 11 inches in height, shorter than the required 5 feet 2 inches in height for female applicants.

On October 2018, the applicant paid the amount to the suspect, who again asked for another P20,000 after receiving the initial amount.

On March 23, 2019, the suspect went to the workplace of the applicant in Taguig City and handed her a T-shirt and shorts she should wear during the medical examination for her application.

The suspect then advised the applicant to undergo an examination outside Camp Crame and to submit the result to the PNP hospital on June 6.

The suspect then asked for another P4,000 processing fee, prompting the applicant this time to report the suspect to the police.

During his arrest, police confiscated from the suspect a PNP backpack, a .45-caliber pistol with six bullets, a fake PNP identification card, and a fake PNP badge.

The suspect is now in the custody of PNP IMEG for investigation and filing of a criminal case.

/atm