Bemedaled airport cop relieved on extortion charge

He was one of the most awarded police officers at the Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA), but on Wednesday, the airport’s top criminal investigator was relieved of his post on an extortion charge.

On orders of MIAA general manager Jose Angel Honrado, aviation police officer 2 Roderick Mejia was suspended as head of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (Naia) Police Intelligence and Investigation Division (PIID), pending investigation of an incident where Mejia

allegedly demanded P10,000 cash and an unregistered handgun (“paltik”) in exchange for dropping the charges against a man found illegally soliciting passengers for colorum taxicabs in the airport.

David de Castro, spokesman for the MIAA general manager, said newly appointed assistant general manager for security and emergency services Jesus Gordon Descanzo will take over temporarily as head of both the Aviation Police Department (APD) and the PIID, which are in charge of investigating crimes within the airport complex.

According to sources who requested anonymity for lack of authority to speak on the matter, the complainant against Mejia was caught soliciting arriving passengers from airport-authorized taxis into colorum or unregistered vehicles.

The sources added that in exchange for dropping the charges, Mejia had demanded P10,000 cash and a handgun from the complainant.

Mejia was among 36 employees cited on June 1 by the Miaa, along with APO2 Jesus Ducusin, for the February 18 arrest of an overcharging taxi driver at Naia terminal 1.

The suspended police officer was also among the APD personnel responsible for the May 2010 arrest of one of four car thieves preying on vehicles parked at the airport.

In February, 2014, Mejia was cited for his role in the arrest of a taxi driver who stole luggage from Naia passengers. The following month, in March 2014, he and three other APD members tracked down and returned a wallet stolen by a taxi driver from a departing Canadian tourist, which had 500 Canadian dollars, P6,500 cash, as well as some credit cards. In July last year, Mejia was again commended for helping in the arrest of a spare tire thief who operated at the Naia terminal 2 parking area.