Ex-policewoman lands in jail for alleged extortion racket in PNP

MANILA, Philippines — A former policewoman was arrested in Pasay City after allegedly extorting money from other policemen requesting transfer to other units within the Philippine National Police (PNP).

Operatives of the PNP-Integrity Monitoring and Enforcement Group (IMEG) nabbed Staff Sgt. Beverly Banan during an entrapment operation conducted inside a fast-food chain at 3:45 p.m. Monday.

According to the police, the suspect was demanding P40,000 to P80,000 from an undercover IMEG officer posing as a policeman asking to be transferred to another PNP unit.

The arrest operation was backed by a team from the PNP Special Action Force and other police units.

Seized from the suspect were P1,000 marked money and the rest of the boodle money, three cellphones, and PNP documents related to the transfer requests of several policemen.

Police said Banan was previously assigned with the Police Regional Office (PRO) 1 Regional Human Resource and Doctrine Division but she was declared dropped from rolls back in 2013.

The entrapment operation is part of the PNP’s massive internal cleansing.

IMEG Director Col. Ronald Lee said PNP chief Gen. Archie Gamboa directed the unit to validate information alleging that PNP personnel are involved in extortion activities.

The information is about alleged anomalies in the recruitment process, the reassignment, and the promotion of PNP personnel.

The suspect is now under the custody of PNP-IMEG in Camp Crame and she is facing charges for robbery-extortion.

An in-depth investigation is being conducted to identify the possible cohorts of the suspect particularly active PNP personnel with access to the Personnel Records and Reassignment.

Edited by JPV