By Mar T. Supnad with report from Aaron Recuenco
CARRANGLAN, Nueva Ecija – The six policemen who were caught the other night in the act of extorting money frommotorists here will be summarily dismissed from service.
No less than PNP chief Ronald dela Rosa issued the statement to media.
Police Regional Office 3 Regional Director, Chief Supt. Amador V. Corpus, has since acted on the matter, ordering the immediate relief and removal of the six erring members of the Carranglan Municipal Police Station.
The arrest of the six as with their two civilian cohorts came after the PNP Counter-Intelligence Task Force personnel conducted an entrapment operation at Digdig, Carranglan.
The scalawag policemen were identified as SPO1 Antonito Otic, PO3 DaniloSotelo, PO3 Ronald Buncad, PO3 Oliver Antonio, PO2 Rodrigo Edralin, and PO2 Romeo Nuñez III.
The two civiliansacting as their collectors were identified as Ramon Cabilangan and Darwin Lagisma.
Reports received by General Corpus said the suspects’ modus operandi is to flag down vehicles coming from Cagayan valley accusing them of fabricated charges until the victims agree to paying a stipend.
Meanwhile, a police official, who was just recently promoted, has ruined his career after he was caught extorting money from a victim following an entrapment operation in Pampanga on Tuesday.
Chief Insp. Romeo Bulanadi, chief of police of Sasmuan town in Pampanga, was allegedly caught red-handed receiving P30,000 from a perya operator.
It was learned that Bulanadi was promoted to Chief Inspector (equivalent to a rank of major in the military) last year.
According to Senior Supt. Chiquito Malayo, head of the Counter-Intelligence Task Force (CITF), “Subject demanded P30,000 from a perya operator, preventing the latter to haul away their equipment unless the money is given,” said Malayo.
“He personally received the money, and that time he was arrested,” he added.
Malayo said Bulanadi will be slapped with a case of robbery and extortion.