Agents of the Integrity Monitoring and Enforcement Group of the Philippine National Police (PNP-IMEG) arrested a police sergeant after he was caught extorting money from a motorcycle rider in Cebu City.
PNP-IMEG director Brig. Gen. Warren de Leon said the operation was based on the complaint of the rider who said that Police Staff Sgt. Paul Traya was asking P3,000 from him in exchange for the release of his motorcycle.
The complainant told the police that he was driving his motorcycle in Barangay Mambaling on Jan. 24 when the policeman, along with other force multipliers, flagged him down.
He said he was among the motorcycle riders who were taken to the police station for various violations, his is for having an expired registration of vehicle.
“The suspect, together with other motorists with traffic violations was brought to Mambaling Police Station 11. They were told that their motorcycles will be impounded but the complainant was wondering why he was not given any citation tickets," said de Leon.
"He then approaches Police Staff Sgt. Traya regarding the citation ticket but the former only mentioned lowering the penalty in the amount of PhP3,000.00 in exchange for not issuing the ticket and for the release of his motorcycle." he added.
The policemen, based on the report, initially demanded P10,000.
Traya then allegedly instructed the complainant to meet him at the parking lot of a hospital in Barangay San Nicolas where the policeman was arrested.
Seized from Traya during the entrapment operation were three pieces of P1,000 bills, his service firearm, PNP identification card, and the motorcycle of the complainant.