Friday, August 03, 2007 Extort probe set versus mobile cops By Carlo P. Mallo
THE Police Regional Office (PRO)-Southern Mindanao will investigate members of Mobile Patrol Group onboard vehicle 07 for alleged involvement in the extortion activities of a dispatcher along Roxas Avenue in Davao City.
Mayor Rodrigo R. Duterte caught the dispatcher red-handed on Wednesday night. The dispatcher was identified as Billy Ubay.
According to reports gathered by Sun.Star Davao, Ubay was extorting P30 to P40 from every jeepney driver allowed to solicit passengers along a portion of Roxas Avenue, lest they be arrested by the police.
In the mayor's fury, he whacked Ubay.
In the midst of interrogation, while kneeling in front of the mayor, Ubay admitted that a police officer from Mobile Patrol 07 that is his protector.
Mobile Patrol 07 arrived together with its police officer, SPO1 Romelito Lanique, after being summoned by the mayor, but Ubay said it was not Lanique who was his protector.
In an interview Thursday, PRO-Southern Mindanao information officer Chief Inspector Querubin Manalang said police officers involved will be investigated and charged administratively and criminally.
ABS-CBN reported Thursday having received complaints of alleged mulcting activities by members of Mobile Patrol 07 in certain places of the city.
"We do not tolerate rogue policemen in our ranks," Manalang added.
Davao City Police Office Director Jaime Morente did not immediately return the phone calls of Sun.Star Davao Thursday afternoon.
