Rookie cop accused of illegal arrest, extortion, back on duty in Manila

MANILA, Philippines — A rookie cop accused of illegal arrest and extortion in Manila last August, and in Pasay in 2012, remains on active duty.

On Monday, Police Officer 1 Sunny Mercado of the University Belt Area precinct surrendered to his superior, Supt. Mannan Muarip, chief of the Sampaloc police, for arbitrary detention.

In an interview, Muarip said Mercado surrendered to him after a Manila court ordered his arrest for the unlawful arrest of a call center agent in Sta. Mesa in 2014.

Muarip said Mercado was detained at station 4 from 4:30 p.m. on Monday until about 11 a.m. on Tuesday. He went back to his post at the university belt area (UBA) precinct after paying the P6,000 bail.

Muarip said Mercado was transferred to Sampaloc after facing a criminal complaint in Sta. Mesa filed against him by Michael Belle Dupio last August.

In a sworn statement, Dupio said he and his friend had just stepped out of a hotel when Mercado and his accomplice, Jesmer Corpuz, approached them and asked what was in his bag.

Mercado said they were facing grave misconduct and brought them to a police precinct. There, they asked the victims to pay P30,000 for trumped up charges.

In 2012, Mercado was one of the eight Pasay cops who were sacked for extorting P10,000 from a motorists. After this case, he transferred to Manila. MPD couldn’t ascertain the status of his case in Pasay.

Despite this, Mercado remains on active duty. His current tasks include patrolling areas dotted by colleges, universities, and dormitories.

Muarip said he was not aware of Mercado’s case until an arrest warrant was forwarded to his office.

He also explained that cops would not be barred from holding positions despite pending criminal charges, especially if they have already answered the administrative cases attached to them.  SFM