4 rogue Las Piñas cops escape after extort try
Authorities are hunting four rogue Las Piñas City police antidrug operatives who went on the lam after allegedly trying to extort money from a woman in exchange for her brother’s freedom and using a 13-year-old boy to carry out the transaction.
Senior Supt. Marlon Balonglong, Las Piñas station commander, ordered the manhunt against PO3 Joel Lupig, PO2 Vener Guanlao and PO1s Mark Jefferson Fulgencio and Jeffrey de Leon, all active members of the city’s drug enforcement unit.
The four were relieved on Thursday morning together with their chief, Insp. Edgardo Tigbao, on account of the National Capital Regional Police Office’s one-strike policy on drug-related offenses, Balonglong said.
Entrapment operation
The case of the four policemen is the latest in a recent trend of “hulidap” (extortion) cases in the police ranks, where the means have gotten increasingly disingenious—from “palit-puri” (sex in exchange for no detention) to using minors in their transactions.
The four were the subject of a botched entrapment operation late Wednesday night. They had earlier arrested a certain Cyrus Ligutan in Silang, Cavite, for alleged drug possession.
Article continues after this advertisementIt was unclear why the cops operated outside their area of jurisdiction, Balonglong said, especially since Ligutan was not on the police watchlist of suspected drug personalities in Silang and Las Piñas.
Article continues after this advertisementP200,000 for freedom
Shelane, Ligutan’s sister, told Silang municipal police that the cops called her on Wednesday night and asked for P200,000 in exchange for Cyrus’ freedom.
She told the police that she could only produce P30,000.
Shelane agreed to meet with the cops at the corner of Quirino Avenue and Victor Medina Street in Parañaque City, where members of the Silang, Parañaque and Las Pinas police planned a sting operation.
The composite team of policemen were surprised, however, when a Grade 8 boy aboard the motorbike of another active Las Piñas policeman met them.
Balonglong said he recognized the boy immediately, as he always hung out at the station.
The four targets were said to be close behind in an Isuzu Highlander, but they escaped.
Shelane, meanwhile, told police a few hours after the botched sting that Cyrus was already back home.
