Rookies turn rogues: 3 cops tagged for kidnap, torture

Three rookie policemen are facing charges for the alleged abduction and torture of a 22-year-old man in Manila, from whom they demanded a P40,000 ransom.

Two of the suspects—PO1 John Rey Bautista of Northern Police District and PO1 Ernesto Borleo of the National Capital Region Police Office—were arrested in an entrapment operation Thursday night after asking P10,000 from the victim’s family as “installment.”

Their alleged accomplice, PO1 Dexter Jerusalem of the Manila Police District’s Station 1 (Tondo), remains at large.

In an interview Friday, Senior Insp. Rommel Purisima, deputy chief of the MPD City Hall detachment, said 22-year-old Clint Tality of Tondo and his relatives went to his office Thursday night to lodge a complaint against the three officers.

Tality alleged that the trio—who were in civilian clothes but introduced themselves as policemen

—accosted him in front of his house around 1:30 a.m. Tuesday. While handcuffed and blindfolded, he was forced to ride a motorcycle with one of them.

He said he was taken to a house in Caloocan City, where they made a demand for P40,000 and took turns beating his toes with a steel pipe.

“The victim called his relatives so they could negotiate with the suspects. They told the suspects that they don’t have money and could only give P6,500,” Purisima said, adding that the trio agreed to release their captive at that price.

On Wednesday night, Tality’s brother met with the policemen at the corner of Batangas and Laguna Streets, near Rizal Avenue, and handed them the money. A few hours later, Tality was taken back to his residence.

The following day, the suspects called the Tality family again to ask for a “second installment” amounting to P10,000.

“That’s when they decided to seek [the MPD’s] help. After hearing their complaint, we launched an entrapment operation,” said Purisima.

Around 11 p.m. Thursday, Borleo and Bautista agreed to meet the Talitys near Rizal Avenue. After the suspects received the marked money, Purisima’s team moved in for the arrest. Jerusalem, the MPD member, did not join the group that night.

Bautista, who was carrying his government-issued 9mm pistol, tried to resist but was eventually subdued.

Purisima said investigators found out about the suspects’ identities only after the arrest. He noted that the three were batchmates who entered the police service in 2009.

The suspects face charges for kidnapping, robbery and physical injuries.