Twelve members of the Manila Police District (MPD) were relieved from their posts on Wednesday, Nov. 8, after they were accused of extorting money from two drug suspects in Tondo, Manila.
MPD chief Lt. Col. Arnold Thomas Ibay immediately ordered Barbosa Police Station (PS-14) Commander Brillante Billaoac to take immediate action against the personnel of its Station Drug Enforcement Team (SDET).
MPD has not disclosed yet the identities of the policemen.
MPD said it received a complaint through a Facebook post that 12 personnel under PS-14 allegedly conducted an illegal anti-drug operation in Tondo on Tuesday afternoon, Nov. 7.
The Facebook uploader Joey Galicia called out Billaoac, saying that 12 of its SDET personnel conducted the operation in Tondo without coordination with the barangay and MPD PS-2, the station that covers the area of the incident.
A closed-circuit television (CCTV) footage was attached to the Facebook post where the 12 policemen wearing face masks were seen breaking into a house.
The post added that the policemen did not have a search warrant.
Galicia also alleged that the 12 operatives asked for P45,000 cash from the victims in exchange for freedom.
"Binitbit ang dalawang babae mula sa loob ng bahay ng walang arrest warrant, dinala sa isang bahay sa harap mismo ng MPD PS 14, Barbosa, Quiapo (The two women were picked up from inside the house without an arrest warrant and taken to a house right in front of MPD PS-14, Barbosa, Quiapo)," the post read.
"Hiningan ang dalawang babae ng P45,000, walang kaso. Pinauwi ang mga biktima 8 p.m. pagkatapos makapagbigay ng pera (The two women were asked to give P45,000, no charges. The victims were sent home at 8 p.m. after giving money)," it added.
The 12 police officers were placed under restricted custody after being relieved from their posts and disarmed.
Billaoac said that they are now conducting an investigation on all the gathered evidence and complaints against the station's anti-drug unit team.
He assured that due process will be observed while determining the violations of the police officers involved, and they will be properly charged when the complaints against them are proven true.