By MAR T. SUPNAD, Franco G. Regala
CAMP OLIVAS, Pampanga – Seven members of the Angeles City Police previously implicated on kidnap for ransom, robbery, and extortion cases were arrested by police authorities during a manhunt operation in Angeles City.
Quoting a report from Angeles City Police Director Sr. Supt. Enrico H. Vargas, the Public Information office here said joint personnel of Angeles City Public Safety Company, Criminal Investigation and Detection Team 3 and Police Station 3 arrested PO3 Roentjen Domingo, PO3 Jose Yumul, Jr., PO1 Ruben Rodriguez II, PO2 Richard King Agapito, PO2 Rommel Manicdao, PO1 Jayson Ibe, and PO1 Mark Joseph Pineda.
Last February, charges of extortion, kidnapping and serious illegal detention were filed before the City Prosecutors Office against the suspects for the supposed staged arrest and detention of three South Korean tourists who were in the Philippines to play golf when the incident happened on Dec. 30, 2016.
The Korean victims told police investigators that the seven cops under the pretext of a raid barged into their house September of last year at an upscale subdivision in Angeles City and accused them of operating an illegal online gambling. Finding no evidence, the seven cops reportedly took computers, pieces of jewelry, golf sets, golf shoes, and P10,000 cash.
The victims who were detained for seven hours at Station 5 said they paid the seven cops P300,000 for their release.
After the robbery-extortion incident, the Korean victims hurriedly left for South Korea in fear of their lives. But one of the victims, Lee Ki Hoon came back to file robbery and kidnapping charges against the seven cops. He was accompanied by two witnesses, one of them Tomas Jung, who allegedly gave the ransom to the accused officers.
The arrest on the seven cops were made by virtue of a warrant issued by Judge Irineo Pangilinan Jr. of the Regional Trial Court Branch 58 in Angeles City.
Meantime, three police officers implicated in the shooting of a minor in barangay Balibago, Angeles City, have been relieved from their posts and are now under restrictive custody.
Chief Supt. Amador Corpus, Police Regional Office 3 director said PO1 Aizel Deanne Marie Lopez, PO1 Osmond Rivera, and Chief Insp. Dante Cabungcal, are now also facing various charges following the incident that occurred Oct. 4 near Winds Boutique Hotel, which resulted in the shooting of 16-year-old Salman Mucdal.