BY AARON RECUENCO
A police sergeant assigned in Bulacan was arrested after he was accused of receiving protection money from illegal drugs personalities operating in Bocaue and nearby areas.
Brig. Gen. Ronald Lee, director of the Philippine National Police-Integrity Monitoring and Enforcement Group (PNP-IMEG), said Chief Master Sgt. Davi Gatchalian was collared while receiving P10,000 marked and boodle money in front of his house in Bocaue on Saturday afternoon.
Gatchalian, presently assigned to the Bocaue Police Station, was accused of demanding protection money from one of the illegal drugs personalities operating in the town.
Lee said the modus of Gatchalian is to threaten illegal drugs personalities with arrest if they fail to give him regular protection money in exchange for his silence.
The IMEG learned of his modus and immediately mapped out an operation against him.
Aside from the money, Gatchalian also demanded an android smartphone from the complainant.
Lee said investigation is now being conducted to identify possible cohorts of Gatchalian inside the Bocaue Police.
Gatchalian was immediately taken to the IMEG headquarters at Camp Crame and is now facing criminal and administrative charges.
The PNP leadership earlier vowed to dismiss within 15 days all erring policemen who would be arrested by IMEG.
Lee, for his part, appealed to the public to report policemen involved in any irregularities to the PNP IMEG Hotlines: SMART- 09989702286 or GLOBE-09957952569.
He said the information may also be forwarded to Facebook Page: Integrity Monitoring and Enforcement Group and Twitter account: @imeg2017. (Aaron Recuenco)
