MANILA, Philippines — The National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) said Tuesday that as Luzon is now under lockdown, there are some who take advantage of the situation by posing as police officers and engage in illegal activities, such as extortion in Metro Manila.
Metro Manila Police chief Major Gen. Debold Sinas ordered Metro Manila police personnel to crack down on these poseurs.
According to the NCRPO, these fake police officers make-up fake reports and harass people online using Facebook.
“Marami kaming binabantayan na pumasok. Naaalala niyo yung sangkatutak na viral na ganito kasama dun yung mga pekeng pulis yung Facebook account na yun pinagdadadownload lahat yun binantayan yun. Kapag pumasok sa lugar natin na nag-uniporme at nagpakilalang pulis, hulihin kaagad,” Sinas said in a press briefing at Kamuning police station.
(We are monitoring these reports. Remember those viral videos? These fake police officers are behind those Facebook accounts and we saved those accounts and we are monitoring them. If we see them wearing police uniforms and identified themselves as uniformed personnel, we will arrest them immediately.)
“May nirereport na may nangongotong. Kaya sabi ko tingnan niyo kapag dumaan na sila, agad ay hulihin,” he added.
(There are some reports that they are involved in extortion. That is why I am saying if you see them, apprehend them immediately)
Col. Ronnie Montejo, chief of Quezon City Police District (QCPD), said they arrested one person pretending to be a police officer at a checkpoint in Barangay Payatas.
“Nung dumaan siya sa checkpoint natin naka-uniporme. Nagpakilala talaga siyang pulis so nalaman so chineck yung ID nalaman na peke pala,” Montejo said.
(He was wearing a police uniform at the checkpoint. He identified himself as a policeman so we checked his ID which turned out to be fake.)
Those found pretending to be a police officer will face charges of usurpation of authority which is under Article 177 of Revised Penal Code, the NCRPO said.