By Martin Sadongdong
The entire drug enforcement unit of the Quezon City Police District (QCPD) Galas Police Station (PS-11) was relieved Friday by the Philippine National Police (PNP) over their alleged involvement in extortion activities from two men whom they supposedly apprehended for violating the election gun ban.
No less than PNP chief Director General Oscar Albayalde ordered the relief of the entire Galas Police Station (PS-11) Drug Enforcement Unit (DEU) including Supt. Igmedio Bernaldez, PS-11 station commander, and Chief Insp. Erwin Guevarra, PS-11 DEU head, for command responsibility.
(MANILA BULLETIN)
Aside from Bernaldez and Guevarra, nine members of PS-11 DEU were also relieved including PO2 Noel Sanchez, PO2 Dennis Eria, PO1 Edward Ramos, PO1 Michael Eric Ramirez, PO1 Ray John Rodriguez, PO1 Gaudencio Escoton, PO1 Sepzon Suclad, PO1 Ryan Rodriguez and PO1 Leny Atma.
The relief was announced by Albayalde during a press briefing in Baguio City for a command visit at the Cordillera Administrative Region Police Regional Office (PRO-COR), Ilocos Region Police Regional Office (PRO-1), and Cagayan Valley Police Regional Office (PRO-2).
"Their relief is to make way for an impartial investigation on the alleged extortion try by the members of the unit," Albayalde said.
According to the National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO), a certain Flexis Jeffrey Posadas, together with his driver, Efren Ferrer, were nabbed by elements of PS-11 at the corner of E. Rodriguez and Tomas Morato in Barangay Kristong Hari around 6 a.m. Thursday.
The arrested men were accused of bearing an unlicensed gun by the arresting unit of PS-11 DEU in what police claimed was a buy-bust operation. Two other men--Celso Luna III and Erwin Madrid--were also nabbed by the operating team. All four men were brought to QCPD Station 11.
The NCRPO said the police then demanded P200,000 from Posadas and Ferrer, to which they paid through the former's nephew, Lorenzo Miguel Soriano, inside the QCPD SDEU office around 9 a.m. Thursday.
The police did not release the suspects and instead demanded another P100,000 for their release which they said should be made on or before 9 p.m. the same day.
This prompted Soriano to seek the help of QCPD's District Special Operations Unit (DSOU) and Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT), thus, resulting in a raid at the PS-11 minutes after midnight Friday.
According to NCRPO director Camilo Pancratius Cascolan, the PS-11 DEU sent a spot report to the QCPD Tactical Operations Center (DTOC) indicating that the arrested men were carrying an unlicensed caliber 38 revolver in his possession.
However, Cascolan learned that Posadas has a 9mm pistol with license.
In addition, Cascolan added that there was no record in the blotter book and no entry number on the spot report of the incident.
"In line with the stern warning of Director Oscar Albayalde, we will not stop policing our ranks and we will go after these shenanigans," he said.
The relieved officers were transferred to the QCPD's District Personnel Accounting Unit, Cascolan said.
Soriano also formally appeared before the QCPD to file robbery/extortion against the personnel of the QCPD PS-11.
(MANILA BULLETIN)
Aside from Bernaldez and Guevarra, nine members of PS-11 DEU were also relieved including PO2 Noel Sanchez, PO2 Dennis Eria, PO1 Edward Ramos, PO1 Michael Eric Ramirez, PO1 Ray John Rodriguez, PO1 Gaudencio Escoton, PO1 Sepzon Suclad, PO1 Ryan Rodriguez and PO1 Leny Atma.
The relief was announced by Albayalde during a press briefing in Baguio City for a command visit at the Cordillera Administrative Region Police Regional Office (PRO-COR), Ilocos Region Police Regional Office (PRO-1), and Cagayan Valley Police Regional Office (PRO-2).
"Their relief is to make way for an impartial investigation on the alleged extortion try by the members of the unit," Albayalde said.
According to the National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO), a certain Flexis Jeffrey Posadas, together with his driver, Efren Ferrer, were nabbed by elements of PS-11 at the corner of E. Rodriguez and Tomas Morato in Barangay Kristong Hari around 6 a.m. Thursday.
The arrested men were accused of bearing an unlicensed gun by the arresting unit of PS-11 DEU in what police claimed was a buy-bust operation. Two other men--Celso Luna III and Erwin Madrid--were also nabbed by the operating team. All four men were brought to QCPD Station 11.
The NCRPO said the police then demanded P200,000 from Posadas and Ferrer, to which they paid through the former's nephew, Lorenzo Miguel Soriano, inside the QCPD SDEU office around 9 a.m. Thursday.
The police did not release the suspects and instead demanded another P100,000 for their release which they said should be made on or before 9 p.m. the same day.
This prompted Soriano to seek the help of QCPD's District Special Operations Unit (DSOU) and Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT), thus, resulting in a raid at the PS-11 minutes after midnight Friday.
According to NCRPO director Camilo Pancratius Cascolan, the PS-11 DEU sent a spot report to the QCPD Tactical Operations Center (DTOC) indicating that the arrested men were carrying an unlicensed caliber 38 revolver in his possession.
However, Cascolan learned that Posadas has a 9mm pistol with license.
In addition, Cascolan added that there was no record in the blotter book and no entry number on the spot report of the incident.
"In line with the stern warning of Director Oscar Albayalde, we will not stop policing our ranks and we will go after these shenanigans," he said.
The relieved officers were transferred to the QCPD's District Personnel Accounting Unit, Cascolan said.
Soriano also formally appeared before the QCPD to file robbery/extortion against the personnel of the QCPD PS-11.