Rogue cop falls in PNP entrapment operation

Special Action Force officers escort PO1 Reynaldo Barreto to the PNP General Hospital for medical check-up after his arrest for reportedly extorting P150,000 from his victim in San Mateo, Rizal. JULLIANE LOVE DE JESUS/ INQUIRER.net

A policeman formerly assigned as intelligence officer was arrested by the Philippine National Police (PNP) anti-scalawag unit on Monday night after allegedly extorting P150,000 from a victim, officials announced Tuesday.

Members of the Counter-Intelligence Task Force (CITF) arrested PO1 Reynaldo Barreto, a former intelligence officer from the Rizal Police Provincial Office.  Barreto was arrested in an entrapment operation conducted at a supermarket in the municipality of San Mateo, province of Rizal.

On Tuesday, Special Action Forces (SAF) personnel embedded to the CITF escorted Barreto to the PNP Health Service to undergo medical check-up before the inquest proceedings.

Barreto repeatedly denied to reporters that he extorted cash from his female victim, who was also a resident of San Mateo, Rizal.

Senior Supt. Jose Chiquito Malayo, director of the CITF, said the suspect was asking for P150,000 from the complainant in exchange of dropping the case against her.

In an interview with reporters at Camp Crame, Malayo said Barreto demanded money for the dropping of the victim’s illegal possession of drug paraphernalia case when the court filed the criminal charges against the latter last May 9.

Malayo said Barreto had derogatory reports in the past, prompting his commanders to transfer him to the personnel and holding unit of the National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO).

Barreto is the 27th suspect the CITF arrested since its creation in February. JPV/rga

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