Policewoman arrested in Quezon City for alleged extortion

MANILA, Philippines — Agents of the anti-scalawag unit of the Philippine National Police (PNP) have arrested in Quezon City a policewoman for alleged extortion.

Brig. Gen. Ronald Lee, director of the PNP Integrity Monitoring and Enforcement Group (IMEG), said Staff Sgt. Clarissa Dela Cruz, assigned at the Regional Personnel Holding and Accounting Unit of the National Capital Region Police Office, was arrested at about 3 p.m. Thursday in front of a grocery store.

In a report released Friday, Lee said arresting officers from IMEG were backed-up by a team from the 82nd Special Action Company of the PNP Special Action Force when they captured Dela Cruz.

Investigation showed that Dela Cruz is engaged in a business that supplies face shields to online sellers as the demand for the product increased during the coronavirus disease pandemic.

Lee said one of the victims is among Dela Cruz’s online sellers and acted as the “middleman” to two other buyers who allegedly failed to pay for the face shields.

Dela Cruz then sought assistance from the Police Station 4 in Novaliches, Quezon City who arrested the “middleman” and the two buyers. The three were earlier detained at the same police station but were later released as Dela Cruz withdrew the filing of complaints.

When they were released from detention, it was at this point that Dela Cruz allegedly extorted from the victims.

“It turned out that the victims were arrested by the personnel of Police Station 4 Novaliches, Quezon City on August 19, 2020 for a case of estafa,” said Lee.

“However, PSSg Dela Cruz didn’t pursue the filing of a case at the Prosecutor’s Office and instead demanded the money from the arrested persons to pay her P40,000.00 to P 50,000.00 as damages for the failed transactions,” he added.

According to the IMEG chief, Dela Cruz even allegedly brought the “middleman” to her residence in Sampaloc, while waiting for the remaining P10,000 as “payment” for the victim’s release.

Upon learning that Dela Cruz instead asked for money instead of filing complaints, IMEG operatives then launched an entrapment operation against her in front of a grocery store in Quezon City where she was supposed to receive the remaining P10,000 from the spouse of the “middleman.”

During the entrapment, marked cash was recovered from the suspect.

Dela Cruz was then brought to the IMEG headquarters at Camp Crame in Quezon City after her arrest. Lee said criminal and administrative complaints will be filed against her.

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/MUF