The Binangonan, Rizal police is now under investigation over possible involvement in systematic extortion activities which were exposed after two civilian assets were arrested in an entrapment operation last Tuesday.

Police Gen. Debold Sinas, chief of the Philippine National Police (PNP), said Binangonan police chief Police Lt. Col. Ferdinand Ancheta is also under investigation for command responsibility after a suspected drug pusher who was arrested last year complained that six of Ancheta’s personnel forced him to shell out money in exchange for the release of his impounded vehicle.

“I will not let this incident pass without implementing appropriate criminal and administrative action against those involved,” said Sinas.

Police Col. Thomas Frias, director of the PNP-Integrity Monitoring and Enforcement Group (IMEG), said his men launched the operation after they received a complaint that some Binangonan policemen have extorted money from the complainant.

Investigation disclosed that the anti-drug unit of the Binangonan police station conducted an operation in November last year that led to the arrest of the complainant.

Among those seized from the suspect was the vehicle of the suspect.

But police allegedly did not declare the vehicle, a Toyota Vios, in the inventory of the confiscated items. Police demanded an initial P40,000 from the suspect in exchange for its release and was later reduced to P20,000.

Relatives of the suspect sought assistance from the IMEG and mapped out an entrapment operation that resulted in the arrest of Albert Domingo, alias “Joel,” during an entrapment in front of the Binangonan Municipal Hall.

Another suspect, Pablo Dolfo, alias “Botchok,” was collared inside the intelligence division office of the police station during a followup operation.

“Those arrested turned out to be civilian assets of the Binangonan Municipal Police Station,” said Frias.

Frias said they also discovered during the investigation that a policeman who was supposed to be locked up in jail was outside of his detention facility and was serving as the lookout during the payoff.

He was identified as Police Corporal Archieval Perez who is facing a non-bailable offense of Infidelity in the Custody of Prisoners. Perez was monitored to be using two cellular phones during the entire transaction.

IMEG operatives identified the six members of the Binangonan police station, through the help of the complainant as Police Senior Master Sgt. Randy Andanar; Police Staff Sgts. Joel Acosta and Joe Sevillena; and Police Corporals Allan Alvarez, Marson Tabayan, and EW Armesnis.

“They were already placed under monitoring and investigation,” said Frias.