2 QC cops in hot water for extortion try on NCRPO chief’s son

Chief Superintendent Leonardo Espina. AFP FILE PHOTO/JAY DIRECTO

MANILA, Philippines –Two Quezon City policemen are in hot water after allegedly trying to extort P20,000 from the son of no less than Chief Superintendent Leonardo Espina, the National Capital Region Police Office director, Tuesday evening, are missing.

In a press briefing Thursday, Espina identified the policemen as Senior Police Officer 4 Jose de la Peña and Police Officer 3 Resty del Rosario, both of QCPD’s Mobile Patrol Unit.

Espina said his son was talking over the phone with a friend inside his car along Hemady Street when he was approached by Dela Peña and accused him of engaging in “phone sex.”

Espina said Dela Pena demanded P20,000 from the younger Espina to settle the case but which was reduced to P5,000.

Dela Peña then drove the victim’s car towards gate 2 of Camp Crame to have him withdraw the money from an ATM machine, with the mobile car driven by Del Rosario following them, Espina said.

“Riding the car is already a very, very clear intent to commit a crime,” he said, adding that a police officer is not allowed to drive a civilian’s vehicle.

“Doon na naisip ng anak ko na tumawag sa akin [That’s when my son decided to call me],” Espina said, adding that his son was on the verge of crying while talking to him.

Espina said his son passed the phone to Dela Peña without mentioning who his father was. Dela Peña introduced himself as “Pulis [Cop] Joseph.”

After learning who their victim’s father was, Espina said Dela Peña returned the phone to his son drove him towards a U-turn slot along Santolan, EDSA, released him, but took his license.

“Of course, you will come up with a trumped up charge so that you have a case against the person . . .that’s why the kid doesn’t even know what he will do, he said.

Espina said Dela Peña and Del Rosario were summoned by their superiors from QCPD to explain why they should not be dismissed from the service after the incident, and was stripped off their service firearms. His son’s license was also returned.

Espina said he’s standing his ground not just for his son, but for the rest of the police force whose reputations are being stained by the misdeeds of their fellow cops.

“There are a lot of good policemen . . . we will not allow the name of the force to be tainted by rogue policemen,”
Espina said, stressing that he will do everything to have Dela Peña and Del Rosario “dismissed” from the police service.

Espina admitted that while he got mad as a father, he, nonetheless, considered this incident as “a blessing in disguise” because his son “became part of the cleansing process”.

As to reports that this wasn’t the first time Dela Peña was involved in extortion, Espina called on Dela Peña’s other victims to surface and file charges.