9 more QC cops fired over extortion

Nine more police officers from the Quezon City Police District (QCPD) Station 11 were relieved for being tagged in an extortion incident, newly installed city police director Sr. Supt. Joselito Esquivel said on Friday

“Lumalabas pagkatapos ng initial report namin, may possible involvement yung chief ng SDEU (Special Drug Enforcement Unit) ng police station 11 together with eight of his men kaya I immediately ordered their relief,” Esquivel said in an interview with Radyo Inquirer.

“Hindi po natin tino-tolerate ito sa hanay at liderato ng mga pulis, as a matter of fact ‘yan ang unang-unang sinabi ng ating Police Diretor General Oscar Albayalde ‘yong internal cleansing,” he added.

Esquivel also said that these nine officers have been placed under restrictive custody as investigation is underway.

The QCPD’s Counter-Intelligence Task Force and District Operations Unit (DSOU), along with the Special Weapon and Tactics (SWAT) unit raided on Thursday night the Galas police station after receiving a tip from a certain Lorenzo Miguel about an extortion incident.

Miguel said that the nine police officers allegedly tried to extract money from a relative, who was arrested at a checkpoint on E. Rodriguez corner Tomas Morato avenues for illegal possession of firearms in relation to the prevailing election gun ban.

“Sinasabi po na nahingan na sila (complainant) ng pera na around P100,000, and then humihingi pa (arrested officers) ng additional na P100,000,” Esquivel noted.

Aside from SDEU Chief Insp. Erwin Guevarra and his eight men, Esquivel also relieved Station 11 Commander Chief Supt. Igmedio Bernaldez as part of investigation procedures.

READ: QC police station chief sacked over men’s extortion case

“Kaya ko naman pina-relieve (Bernaldez) kasi this is happening under his area.  Kabilin-bilinan natin ay bantayan ang ating mga kapulisan, doble na nga ang sweldo ga-ganyan pa sila,” Esquivel said in an earlier interview with DZMM.                     /kga