By Christopher Lloyd Caliwan
MANILA – The Philippine National Police (PNP) anti-scalawag unit arrested three cops assigned to the Caloocan City Police Station for allegedly extorting money from the visitors of the an inmate.
In a report to PNP chief Gen. Rommel Francisco Marbil on Monday, the Integrity Monitoring and Enforcement Group said an entrapment operation led to the arrest of officers holding the ranks of major, master sergeant and patrolman.
The operation stemmed from the complaint of the relatives of one of the inmates who claimed that they are being forced to pay at least PHP1,500 per visit, including a PHP200 entry fee and PHP550 for using the waiting area.
Two detainees in charge of the collection were also arrested.
“We will not tolerate corruption in our ranks. This successful operation only shows that we are not stopping in our internal cleansing,” Marbil told the Philippine News Agency.
The three policemen are facing criminal and administrative charges with a maximum penalty of dismissal from the service.
PNP Internal Affairs Service (IAS) Inspector Gen. Brigado Dulay said complaints against PNP members have increased by 10 percent from 1,879 in 2024 to 2,073 in 2024.
“Maybe the reason why it went up is because people are now motivated to file charges,” Dulay said.
He said the IAS will launch in May its integrity campaign to revive the perception of integrity and professionalism among cops. (PNA)
