2 cops arrested in Manila for kidnapping, extortion

Two policemen were arrested in Manila Thursday night for allegedly extorting money from the cousin of a tricycle driver they kidnapped earlier in Quezon City.

PO1 Edwin Soriano and PO2 Manuel Fuentes are both facing a charge of kidnapping, for forcibly taking Sherwin Desear from his home in Cubao, Quezon City, at around 9 a.m Thursday. Soriano is working for the Manila Police District’s (MPD) Station 6 (Sta. Ana) while Fuentes works at Camp Crame’s Personnel Holding Admin Office.

While the motive for the kidnapping is yet to be determined, case investigator PO2 Randolf Pellesco said Desear knows Fuentes because Fuentes is his usual passenger.

The victim told authorities that the two policemen took him to Camp Karingal aboard a gray Toyota Revo. It was inside the police facility where the lawmen called up the victim’s cousin Ryan to ask from him P20,000 in exchange for Desear’s freedom.

When Ryan didn’t accede to the suspects’ demands, the victim was then transferred to a house in Commonwealth, believed to be owned by Fuentes’ mother.

According to Pellesco, it was here where the suspects left the vehicle. Along with the victim, Soriano and Fuentes then boarded a taxi toward Justice Jose Abad Santos General Hospital. He said the two policemen brought Desear to the hospital so the victim can undergo medical examination to support the possession and selling of illegal drugs they threatened to file against the victim.

From the hospital, Desear was then brought to a makeshift house on Rivera Street in Tondo. Pellesco said the victim was able to escape shortly after the two policemen left him in the house without any restraint. He added that the two plainclothes policemen were arrested at around 8 p.m. at MPD’s Station 2 (Moriones) after Soriano was reported by his station for not reporting to work.

Pellesco, however, couldn’t say what the two were doing at Station 2.

Apart from the kidnapping charge, Soriano also faces a charge of illegal possession of firearms after an unlicensed caliber .38 was recovered from him.