A police corporal assigned to the Bayambang Municipal Police Station in Pangasinan was arrested after for allegedly extorting money from motorists who would fail to show vaccination card in an access road in the town.
Police Brig. Gen. Oliver Enmodias, director of the Philippine National Police Integrity Monitoring and Enforcement Group (PNP-IMEG), said the operation against Police Corporal Daniel Penuliar was conducted based on the complaints received about his alleged extortion racket.
"The modus operandi of the arrested suspect is to ask for Vaccination Card of the motorists and if they cannot present they must first pay P500," said Enmodias.
A police poseur motorist was fielded which resulted in the arrest of Penuliar at a checkpoint in Barangay Pantol.
A team from Special Action Force backed the arresting officers from IMEG-Luzon Field Unit, according to Enmodias.
Seized from the suspect were his PNP identification card, his service firearm, a handheld radio and the P500 given by the police poseur motorist.
Penuliar is now under the custody of IMEG Luzon Field Unit, Headquarters, Clark Airbase, Angeles City, Pampanga for documentation and filing of complaint.
Enmodias called on the public to report the presence of the PNP personnel involved in any irregularities to the PNP IMEG Hotlines: SMART- 09989702286 or GLOBE- 09957952569.
Information may also forward to Facebook Page: Integrity Monitoring Enforcement Group. Twitter Account: @imeg2017. He further assured the public that the identity of the complainant will be kept with utmost secrecy.