Manila cops nabbed for extorting P250

MANILA, Philippines – The Philippine National Police (PNP)’s Counter Intelligence Task Force, tasked to hunt down scalawags in the police force, nabbed two cops caught extorting P250 – that’s hundreds, not thousands – from another cop who posed as a motorist.

Senior Police Officer 1 Rodito Magluyan and Police Officer 3 Rowel Candelario, both from Station 9 of the Manila Police District (MPD), were arrested by CITF members and MPD operatives at around 3:50 am on Sunday, February 12.

The PNP said the two were caught demanding – and accepting – P250 in marked money from another cop who pretended to be a driver during an entrapment operation.

Earlier, the task force had gotten a complaint via SMS about cops flagging down motorists and extorting money from them. The two were caught in the vicinity of Quirino Avenue corner Mother Ignacia Street in Malate, Manila.

The two were brought to the Manila Prosecutor’s office the same day. Assistant City Prosecutor Reynaldo P. Tomas Jr. recommended the filing of information for the crime of robbery/extortion.

Both cops are currently detained the CITF headquarters inside Camp Crame as the case is ongoing.

The CITF was formed late January following the PNP’s pullout from President Rodrigo Duterte’s war on drugs.

Duterte then said the PNP was “corrupt to the core” after it was revealed that anti-illegal drug police supposedly orchestrated the kidnap and murder of a South Korean businessman.

The PNP was ordered to focus on “internal cleansing” or ridding its ranks of corrupt cops.

Since it was launched, the CITF has gotten more than 1,000 text messages reporting supposed cases of scalawag cops.

Those with complaints may text 09989702286 or ‎09957952569, the CITF hotlines. – Rappler.com