Seven policemen who allegedly kidnapped the girlfriend of an inmate at the New Bilibid Prisons in Muntinlupa City and demanded a kilo of shabu as ransom for her release have surrendered after an irate President Duterte offered P2 million each for their capture dead or alive.
Chief Supt. Dionardo Carlos, spokesperson of the Philippine National Police, said five of them, accompanied by their relatives, surrendered at the PNP headquarters in Camp Crame, Quezon City Friday night.
They were PO2 Michael Angelo Solomon, PO3 Luis Hizon Jr., PO2 Michael Huerto, PO1 Jovito Roque Jr., and PO1 Ricky Lamsen, members of the Malabon City Police Drug Enforcement Unit.
The suspects came from Palawan where they fled after their activities were publicly disclosed.
More than 12 hours later, at around 10:30 a.m. yesterday, two more suspects yielded to the PNP leadership – SPO2 Jerry dela Torre of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group and PO3 Bernardino Pacoma of the Civil Security Group.
“They are now facing criminal charges for robbery, kidnapping, carnapping, and planting of evidence. They are also facing separate administrative charges,” said Carlos.
“They were detained after the mandatory booking procedures with the consent of their lawyer. They will be under the restrictive custody of the CITF,” said Carlos.
The seven suspects with four other policemen allegedly kidnapped the 53-year-old victim from her house in Quezon City and took her car, cash, and personal belongings before she was taken to the Malabon police DEU detention cell where they made a report that she was arrested in a buy-bust operation in Letre, Malabon.
The suspects ordered her to produce a kilo of shabu from her contact for her release. Her family managed to produce the shabu and handed it to the suspects who demanded an additional P5 million.
This prompted her family to seek the help of the police leading to the arrest of four of the 11 suspects – SPO2 Ricky Pelicano, PO2 Wilson Sanchez, PO1 Joselito Ereneo, and PO1 Frances Camua, all of the Malabon police DEU.
Northern Police District director Chief Supt. Roberto Fajardo said the seven cops surrendered after Duterte offered R2 million each for their capture dead or alive.
“The cops said that they surrendered because they got afraid after President Duterte offered P14-million reward in exchange for their heads – either dead or alive,” Fajardo said. (Aaron Recuenco and Jel Santos)