Friday, August 24, 2007 At least 6 members of vice control unit face extortion raps By Jovy S. Taghoy Sun.Star Staff Reporter
IN five years, six Vice Control Section (VCS) operatives have been subjected to entrapment by agents of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) 7 for alleged extortion on suspected drug personalities.
Of the six police operatives, three have been arrested. They are now facing charges either before the Office of the Ombudsman or the regular courts.
The first to be arrested was PO3 Paquito Mo-nterroyo. He was arrested last Aug. 13, 2003 for allegedly extorting P300,000 from trader Mino Disomundeg in Lapu-Lapu City.
The entrapment stem-med from Disomundeg’s complaint that he had to cough up P18,000 and 3,000 yen after Monterroyo and his companions accused him of being involved in the illegal drugs trade.
Monterroyo had denied the allegation and claimed he was being framed. He is facing two extortion charges and two graft charges before a Lapu-Lapu City Regional Trial Court.
The Office of the Ombudsman for the Military, in its June 29, 2005 order, ordered Monterroyo’s dismissal from the service after the anti-graft body found him guilty of “grave misconduct tantamount to being notoriously undesirable.”
Monterroyo’s penalty also includes the cancellation of his eligibility for re-employment with the government, as well as the loss of whatever benefits he accrued in his years in government service. Monterroyo filed a motion for reconsideration before the anti-graft body.
Threatened
On June 22, 2005, NBI 7 agents also arrested PO1 Leo Batigalao of VCS and PO2 Robert Cuyos of the Drug Enforcement Unit (DEU) over allegations they extorted P95,000 from couple Francisco and Dahlia Nabua.
The Nabuas alleged that the three policemen asked for money from them in exchange for the release of Francisco, who was arrested on May 14 for alleged drug peddling.
They claimed the first payment of P80,000 was made hours after Francisco’s arrest. The remaining P15,000 was given on May 17.
On June 21, Batigalao reportedly called up Dahlia and demanded P30,000. He allegedly threatened her that she would be arrested for a drug-related case if she refused to give the money.
The threat prompted the couple to seek the NBI’s assistance.
During the supposed payoff, PO2 Richard Valencia, also of VCS, was not around. But he was still included in the charges filed before the court because he was identified as the one who allegedly negotiated for the money.
Batigalao, Cuyos and Valencia denied the allegation, describing it as baseless and fabricated.
Batigalao said the incident was a case of “inducement” where he was made to believe that the couple, who were drug suspects allegedly operating on A. Lopez St., would give vital information on big-time drug pushers in the city.
Dismissal
The Cebu City Internal Affairs Service, which conducted the administrative investigation, recommended summary dismissal proceedings against the three policemen after finding probable cause.
Last Wednesday afternoon, another team of NBI 7 operatives arrested SPO1 Jaime Otadoy inside the Camp Sotero Cabahug on Gorordo Ave., where the VCS holds office, for allegedly trying to extort P2 million from businessman Ruel Lerio.
Also tagged in the controversy were PO3 Rey Albotra and PO1 Raniel Capangpangan. The two were not arrested during the operation, though.
Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Bureau Chief George Ylanan, who was once a VCS chief, said the VCS is in the frontline in the campaign against illegal gambling and prostitution. They are also tasked with fighting illegal drugs.
Last Wednesday’s arrest prompted Acting Cebu City Police Office (CCPO) Director Patrocinio Comendador to disband the VCS.
Cebu City Councilor Sylvan Jakosalem, however, said the entrapment is not enough reason to disband the unit.
Jakosalem, who used to head the council committee on dangerous drugs and is the former vice chairman of the committee on police, said that one incident is not enough reason to dissolve an important unit.
Vice
He suggested that since the CCPO already has the Drug Enforcement Unit (DEU), the VCS would just be stripped of its power in going after illegal drugs. But the unit can still enforce laws pertaining to other vices.
“All international police agencies, the New York Police Department, LAPD, NYPD, they have their vice squads, which are very specific in their duty in running after violators of either local ordinances or national laws pertaining to vices,” he said.
The VCS, the councilor said, could still go after prostitution, alcoholism, gambling, and other problems.
City Councilor Augustus Pe, Jr., chairman of the newly formed committee on public order and safety, said last Wednesday’s incident was a black eye to the VCS.
Pe said the CIIB can absorb most of the VCS’ functions, while the DEU can focus on illegal drugs. Besides, Pe said, there is already the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency.
Pe and Jakosalem told Sun.Star Cebu that prior to Otadoy’s entrapment, they already received complaints about policemen allegedly extorting money from arrested suspects.
“Some of those entrapment operations by the NBI were upon my request,” Pe said, adding that he knew beforehand of the operation on Otadoy. (With RHM)
