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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider Police major, alleged civilian bagman arrested for extorting money from small gasoline retailers

Police major, alleged civilian bagman arrested for extorting money from small gasoline retailers

Published Aug 3, 2020 08:18 pm

A commander of a Police Community Precinct in Caloocan City and his alleged civilian bagman were arrested after they were accused of extorting money from small retailers of gasoline, the police’s Integrity Monitoring and Enforcement Group (IMEG) disclosed on Monday.

IMEG director Brig. Gen. Ronald Lee said Police Major Celso Sevilla was arrested along with Nestor Rivera during an entrapment at 12 noon on Monday right inside the PCP 10 of the Caloocan City Police.

“The police major was arrested shortly after his civilian cohort received P300 in marked bills from the complainant and subsequently remitted to cash to him,” said Lee.

Lee said the operation stemmed from the complaints of gasoline retailers in Barangay 178 in Camarin, Caloocan City who claimed that two policemen have been demanding P300 a week from each of them in exchange for immunity from raids.

“We have received several complaints regarding the involvement of the two policemen in a massive protection racket in their area where they demand money from gasoline vendors in exchange for their unhampered business operation” said Lee.

They told the IMEG agents that it started on September 11 last year when the head of the PCP 10 allegedly ‘introduced’ himself as the new commander by conducting a series of raids in the area which resulted in the confiscation of 23 gallons of gasoline and two cases of one-liter bottled gasoline products from different stalls in the barangay.

The gasoline vendors were allegedly told that no such raid would happen again if each would pay P300 weekly.

IMEG agents then conducted an entrapment through one of the complainants which resulted in the arrest of the two. A third suspect identified as Police Corporal Albert Cruz is now being hunted down.

The two arrested suspects were taken to the IMEG Headquarters at Camp Crame. Aside from criminal charges, separate administrative charges are expected to be slapped against the two policemen.

 Last month, national police chief Gen. Archie Francisco Gamboa vowed to dismiss within 15 days any policeman who would be caught involved in illegal activities.

Lee called on the public to report the presence of the police personnel involved in any irregularities to the PNP IMEG Hotlines: SMART- 09989702286 or GLOBE- 09957952569.

He said any information may also be forwarded to Facebook Page: Integrity Monitoring Enforcement Group or Twitter Account : @imeg2017. 

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