DILG chief sacks 7 PNP men for ‘kotong’ in Taytay

Seven police officers in Taytay town in Rizal province were ordered sacked by Interior Secretary Jesse M. Robredo on complaints that they extorted money from jeepney and FX taxi drivers.

Initial investigation showed that aside from a monthly “protection money” worth P8,000 shelled out by the local drivers association to the Taytay policemen, the latter also allegedly required all jeepney and TX taxi drivers to pay P10 each time they passed through the Tikling area.

Relieved were Chief Inspector Ruel C. Lacanienta, chief of the Tikling police traffic sector; Police Officer 2 Harold Orfanel; PO1 Ron Miranda; PO1 Daniel Igtiven; PO2 Rommel Reodique; PO1 Reylan Gumapad; and PO1 Cergie Gonzales.

“I am aghast to learn that despite our nationwide campaign against ‘kotong (extortionist)’ cops, these police officers failed to mend their ways, mulcting and extorting money from public utility drivers and other motorists in their self-perceived and concocted traffic violations against their would-be victims,” Robredo said in a statement.

Senior Superintendent Francisco Penaflor, the senior police assistant to the DILG chief, earlier sent a team from the PNP Office of Internal Security to investigate and document the alleged mulcting activities in Tikling.

“The daily P10 kotong among drivers being made by PNP-hired ‘barkers’ are allegedly being remitted to the Taytay PNP traffic sector office daily,” the team’s report said.

Earlier, Robredo ordered the relief and filing of charges against nine traffic policemen in Quezon City who allegedly extorted money from his own nephew.

The secretary also sacked another officer from Capas, Tarlac province, who allegedly did the same to members of a Region 5 athletic team that competed in Palarong Pambansa, where one of Robredo’s daughters was a delegate.