The extension of the Light Rail Transit Line 2 (LRT-2) to Masinag in Antipolo City would be operational by early 2019 and cut travel time between Recto (Manila) and Masinag to about 40 minutes. The DOTr gave this assurance during the groundbreaking on Tuesday of the line’s Masinag and Emerald stations, which would serve as anchors for the P9.5 billion LRT-2 East Extension Project. The DM Consunji Inc. bagged the contract for the two stations which is set to start construction on June 6. Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade advised motorists that “the construction will cause a bit of traffic, but we should get this done.” —Miguel R. Camus
Cop offered to help arrested drug suspect—for P150K
A policeman was arrested in San Mateo, Rizal, on Monday after he allegedly tried to extort P150,000 from a drug suspect. PO1 Reynaldo Barretto of the National Capital Region Police Office became the 27th officer to be caught by the Philippine National Police-Counter Intelligence Task Force (PNP-CITF) in its four-month-old campaign against crooked officers. PNP-CITF head Senior Supt. Jose Chiquito Malayo said Barreto offered to secure the dismissal of the drug charges against a woman, who was arrested May 9, in exchange for P150,000. “However, the complainant was able to post bail because the case against her was just a minor offense (possession of drug paraphernalia),” Malayo said. Despite the dismissal, Barretto continued calling up and sending text messages to the woman to ask for money. This prompted her and her mother to approach the CITF, which set a trap for the officer at a supermarket in San Mateo on May 29. Malayo said Barretto earlier served as an intelligence officer under the Rizal police, where he left a record tainted with various complaints. —Philip C. Tubeza
Wearing ‘police’ shirts backfires on duo in Mandaluyong
Two men pretending to be police officers—who turned out to be a wanted suspect and a taxi driver—were arrested at a checkpoint in Mandaluyong City on Monday. The city police chief, Senior Supt. Joaquin Alva, identified them as William Ang, 46, a salesman from 7th Avenue, Caloocan City; and Fretzel Geronimo, 46, a taxi driver from Sampaloc, Manila. Members of Police Community Precinct 2 led by Insp. Florante Ubina were manning a checkpoint on Coronado Street, Barangay Hulo, when they flagged down the two men on a motorbike for not wearing helmets. Their motorcycle also had no license plate. Geronimo, who wore a camouflage shirt with an NCRPO (National Capital Region Police Office) logo, could not produce a driver’s license. Ang, his backrider who wore a t-shirt marked “Pulis,” claimed to be a Quezon City police intelligence officer. Both men failed to present proof of being law enforcers. Later checks revealed that an arrest warrant was issued against Ang in May 2016 for highway robbery and illegal gun possession. —Jodee A. Agoncillo