By VANNE ELAINE P. TERRAZOLA
A former Quezon City anti-drugs cop was arrested Monday for allegedly illegally apprehending a motorcycle rider and extorting P20,000 cash from his family last year.
Police Officer 1 Crispin Cartagenas Jr., 40, is now languishing behind bars after operatives of the Quezon City Police District (QCPD) nabbed him inside their headquarters in Camp Karingal around 3 p.m. Monday.
He was arrested by virtue of a warrant issued by Judge Ferdinand Baylon of the Quezon City Regional Trial Court Branch 77 on June 23 for robbery extortion he allegedly committed in July last year.
Based on court resolution, the cop arrested on July 2, 2017 one Julius Anthony Moraleda for drug pushing in a gas station at the corner of Kalayaan Avenue corner Kamias Road.
But Moraleda, in his statement, said he was just filling up his motorcycle tank when Cartagenas arrived and accosted him.
He said the cop told him that he was looking for a holdupper and ordered him to take off his helmet.
Moraleda claimed that when he complied with the instruction, Cartagenas suddenly arrested him and brought him to Anonas Police Station.
The complainant added that the policeman planted illegal drugs on him.
Moraleda’s wife and daughter came to the police station the next day only to be asked by the cop to produce P20,000 cash in exchange for his release.
The wife informed authorities that Cartagenas also told them that they should be thankful because he spared Moraleda’s life because “he could kill a person.”
They gave cash to the cop, after which Moraleda was freed since the charge against him was also bailable.
Aside from robbery-extortion and planting of evidence cases, Cartagenas also faces charges of illegal arrest, arbitrary detention and perjury for making false reports on Moraleda’s arrest.
During Cartgenas’ arrest Monday, the operatives confiscated from him a loaded .45-caliber pistol and a motorcycle (PD 2507) without pertinent documents. He will face additional charges for violation of RA 10591 or the Comprehensive Firearms and Ammunition Regulation Act and RA 4136 or the Land Transportation and Traffic Code.
The QCPD also initiated administrative cases against Cartagenas.