Cop blows whistle on superior in extortion try on Espina’s son

Chief Superintendent Leonardo Espina. AFP FILE PHOTO/JAY DIRECTO

MANILA, Philippines – One of the police officers involved in the extortion try against the son of Chief Superintendent Leonardo Espina, newly appointed National Capital Region Police Office director, blamed his alleged partner and superior for the crime, saying that he was simply “following orders”.

Police Officer 2 Resty del Rosario, who reported for duty Thursday after being
accused of trying to extort P20,000 from Espina’s son, claimed that he was only doing what Senior Police Officer 4 Jose Dela Pena told him to do, according to
Chief Inspector Jerome Dela Cruz, head of Quezon City Police District’s Mobile Patrol Unit.

Dela Cruz said that Del Rosario pleaded innocence.

Del Rosario and Dela Peña are under investigation after they were caught trying to extort money from Espina’s son whom they accused of engaging in “phone sex” as he was talking to a friend inside his car in Quezon City Tuesday evening.

It was Espina himself who found out about the extortion attempt after his son called him and let him talk to Dela Peña who introduced himself as “Pulis [cop] Joseph”.