Seven policemen were arrested Thursday over kidnapping-for-ransom charges filed against them upon the complaints of the family of an apprehended drug suspect last year.
Police Maj. Gen. Guillermo Elezar, director of the National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO), said that the arrest was effected based on the arrest warrant issued by a Tagaytay City court for a modus operandi that is usually being used by anti-narcotics policemen to cash in on the ongoing drug war.
He identified those arrested as Police Staff Sergeant Joel Lupig; Police Corporals Vener Gunalao and Jayson Arellano; Patrolman Jeffrey De Leon, Mark Jefferson Fulgencio Raymart Gomez and Erickson Rivera, all assigned to the Las Pinas City Police drug enforcement unit before they were placed under restrictive custody.
Eleazar said he personally implemented the arrest warrant for a case of kidnapping-for-ransom inside the Custodial Detention Facility of Regional Headquarters Support Unit (RHSU) NCRPO, Camp BagongDiwa, Bicutan in Taguig City.
Based on the court records, the seven cops allegedly tried to extort money from the sister of a drug suspect whom they arrested in an anti-drug operation in November last year.
“The extortion money was in exchange for the release of her brother. But instead of giving in, she reported the incident to NCRPO which immediately planned an entrapment operation,” said Eleazar.
The seven cops eluded the arresting team but subsequently surrendered themselves Eleazar on November 29 last year. They were then placed under restrictive custody at NCRPO Headquarters while awaiting for the progress of the case leveled against them.
Criminal cases of kidnapping with serious illegal detention along with administrative case of grave misconduct were filed against the suspects. The seven cops are now under the custody of RSOU for proper documentation and the warrant of arrest will be returned to the court of origin.
A number of policemen have already been arrested for extortion activity, most of them were riding on the war on drugs being implemented by the government. (Aaron Recuenco)