NCRPO names 10 QC cops in alleged extortion

NCRPO Chief Dir. Camilo Cascolan. Photo from https://ncrpo.pnp.gov.ph

The National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) has named 10 policemen of the Quezon City Police District (QCPD) allegedly involved in the purported extortion incident on Thursday morning.

NCRPO Chief Dir. Camilo Cascolan, in a statement on Friday, identified the policemen as Chief Insp. Erwin Garcia, head of QCPD-Station 11’s Special Drug Enforcement Unit (SDEU); PO2 Noel Sanchez; PO2 Dennis Eria; PO1 Edward Ramos; PO1 Michael Eric Ramirez; PO1 Ray John Rodriguez; PO1 Gaudencio Estocon; PO1 Sepzon Suclad, PO1 Ryan Rodriguez; and PO1 Leny Atma.

Cascolan said all 10 (not 9 as earlier reported) were placed under restrictive custody at QCPD’s District Personnel Accounting Unit in Camp Karingal.

All 10 were immediately relieved along with Station 11 Commander Chief Supt. Igmedio Bernaldez over command responsibility.

“In line with the stern warning of our PNP Chief Police Director General Oscar Albayalde, we will not stop policing our ranks and we will go after shenanigans,” Cascolan said.

“Let me remind all our policemen that the NCRPO is serious with the Internal Cleansing Program of the PNP. Sa katunayan, mga pulis din ang humuli sa mga pulis ng PS11,” he added.

Meanwhile, the NCRPO said the complainant in the alleged extortion incident would still be arrested for violating the election gun ban, which took effect since April 14 in the run up to the May 14 Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections. The gun ban will end on May 21.

A spot report released by the NCRPO also on Friday showed that Flexis Posadas and his driver Efren Ferrer were stopped by officers from QCPD-Station 11 at a checkpoint on E. Rodriguez Avenue corner Tomas Morato.

But Posadas and his relative, Lorenzo Soriano complained on Thursday evening that the arresting officers allegedly demanded from them P200,000, purportedly as payment for the release of Posadas and Ferrer.

Soriano told authorities about the incident, and consequently, QCPD police set an entrapment operation and raided the Galas police station Thursday night. 

According to Cascolan, the report on the incident indicated that a caliber .38-pistol was seized from Posadas when he was actually in possession of a .9mm gun. Cascolan also noted that while there was a spot report about the incident, no police blotter could be found to validate the case.

Further, Cascolan said nowhere in the spot report that the serial number of the confiscated firearm was ever stated. /kga