More aggressive intelligence and counter-intelligence operations as part of the Philippine National Police’s internal cleansing led to the arrest of two Pasay City policemen involved in extortion activities in Pasay City Wednesday, an official said Thursday.
PNP Spokesman Brig. Gen. Bernard Banac identified the two policemen as Police Corporal Reynald Pallangeo Macwes and Police Corporal Jimuel Ilagan.
Before their arrest, the PNP intelligence branch had received reports of alleged extortion activities of Macwes and Ilagan, prompting an entrapment operation against them.
This developed a day after Vice President Leni Robredo called on President Rodrigo Duterte to stop his war on drugs and allow a United Nations probe of drug-related killings.
Interviewed by Reuters, Robredo said the government’s deadly drug campaign was a failure and created a dent on the country’s image. She took a swipe at the President’s violent rhetoric that had helped sow a culture of police impunity.
“We have seen a lot of police that have abused their powers and not been penalized so this is where the International Criminal Court could come in, if we do not show the world that we can take care of our own mess,” the Vice President told Reuters.
Meanwhile, at least 1,561 firearms and 55,730 magazine assemblies, which were confiscated, recovered or surrendered during various military operations across the country in 2016, were destroyed in Camp Aguinaldo Thursday morning.
Newly-designated Armed Forces of the Philippines Public Affairs Office chief Capt. Jonathan Zata, said the firearms were destroyed to curb the proliferation of illegal and loose firearms in the country.
The firearms included M1 Garand rifles, Carbine rifles, Browning Machine guns, grenade launchers and assorted hand guns, and those were cut in half while the magazines were run over by a bulldozer.
Acting on intelligence reports, operatives of the Integrity Monitoring and Enforcement Group, Intelligence Group and the Regional Intelligence Division of the NCRPO swooped down on the policemen at a bus terminal in Malibay, Pasay City.
The two policemen were entrapped and eventually arrested after receiving a marked 100-peso bill from a driver.
IMEG Commander Police Col. Ronald Lee said the two policemen on board a patrol car were collecting P100 in grease money from public utility buses and vans within Malibay in Pasay City.
The arrested policemen are now in the custody of IMEG and appropriate criminal and administrative charges are being readied against them.
PNP Officer-in-Charge Lt. Gen. Archie Gamboa again reminded the 195,000-strong PNP to refrain from any illegal acts that may stain the image of the organization.
“Time and again, the PNP leadership will be always relentless to cleanse our ranks. And I reiterate no PNP personnel shall be allowed to take in whatever form of material or monetary consideration from operators, including any form of bribe or grease money,” Gamboa said.
The Internal Affairs Service vowed to expedite the cases of more than a hundred policemen involved in various offenses. With Joel E. Zurbano and Rio N. Araja