4 Manila policemen nabbed for extortion

Four members of the  Manila Police District were arrested on Wednesday for allegedly extorting money from the family of an arrested drug suspect.

The four were identified as Police Corporals Francis Mikko Gagarin, Juan Carlo Guzman and Nickson Mina, and Police Pat. Tom Hikilan—all members of the beat patrol group of the Ermita police station.

A report from the National Capital Region Police Office said the lawmen were arrested around 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday at the Baseco police community precinct after they supposedly received P200,000 from the wife of a man they earlier arrested for drugs.

An entrapment operation was conducted by the Integrity Monitoring and Enforcement Group (Imeg), the antiscalawag unit of the Philippine National Police, based on the complaint of Alaysa Panansang. She had claimed that the policemen were demanding P500,000 for the release of her husband,
Kelvie, who was arrested on drug charges the day before. From P500,000, the policemen agreed to lower the amount to P200,000, Panansang said.

Extortion and grave misconduct charges would be filed against the four policemen, who were under the custody of the Imeg at the PNP headquarters in Camp Crame, Quezon City. They were also stripped of their ID cards and 9mm service firearms. —DEXTER CABALZA