by Aaron Recuenco
Anti-scalawag operatives of the Philippine National Police (PNP) have arrested four Manila lawmen who were accused of extorting money from an Egyptian whom they arrested allegedly for illegal drugs charges.
Senior Supt. Jose Chiquito Malayo, commander of the Counter-Intelligence Task Force (CITF), said they immediately mapped out an entrapment after the Egyptian sought assistance and told them that policemen are forcing him to cough out P200,000.
“The Egyptian was arrested for alleged violation of anti-illegal drugs law. He was then required to pay P200,000 so as not to be charged,” Malay said so.
“The demand was later reduced to P50,000 of which a check was issued with the agreement that it will be exchanged with a hot cash today (April 13) hence their arrest,” he added.
He identified the arrested cops as SPO3 Ranny Litonjoa Dionisio, PO3 Richard Osorio Bernal, PO1 Elequiel Jeric Fernandez, and PO1 Arjay Lastricia Lasap. They are all assigned to the Intelligence Section of the Manila Police District Station 9.
Malayo said they are still conducting follow-up operations since according to the Egyptian complainant, at least 10 armed men had arrested him on April 9.
The arrested policemen are now in the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) for disposition and filing of appropriate cases, according to Malayo.
The CITF, it was recalled, was formed in February last year to run after scalawag policemen following the controversial case of South Korean businessman Jee Ick Joo who was arrested by policemen under the guise of drug operations but was later killed inside Camp Crame – before the cops demanded P5 million ransom from his family.
More than 60 policemen have already been arrested since the CITF creation last year, most of them were collared for extortion on drug personalities.
