NATIONAL Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) Director Guillermo Eleazar ordered on Thursday, July 19, the relief of six policemen assigned at the Manila Police District (MPD) over their alleged involvement in the extortion of suspected human traffickers.

Eleazar identified the cops as (PO) 1 Erdie Bautista, PO1 MJ Cerilla, PO3 Michael Chavez, PO3 Dindo Encina, PO1 Arcadio Orbis, and PO1 Martinico Mario who were all members of the MPD-District Special Operations Unit (DSOU).

MPD-DSOU head Chief Inspector Joey de Ocampo was also relieved over command responsibility.

Eleazar said the relieved cops will be assigned to the NCRPO headquarters in Camp Bagong Diwa in Taguig while charges against them are being prepared.

Around 12:30 a.m. of Thursday, July 19, the Philippine National Police (PNP)-Counter-Intelligence Task Force (CITF) conducted an entrapment operation inside the MPD-DSOU that resulted in the arrest of Cerilla and Bautista.

CITF spokesperson Chief Inspector Jewel Nicanor said the operation stemmed from a complaint of relatives of arrested suspects who was allegedly being asked by the policemen for P50,000 in exchange of their release.

The DSOU arrested the suspects in an operation on Wednesday evening (July 18) over alleged human trafficking.

The initial amount the police asked from the suspects is P100,000 and when it was reduced to P50,000, their relatives immediately sought for the assistance of the CITF.

During the entrapment operation, Bautista was the one who received the money.

The CITF also found out that the arrest has no blotter record or spot report, which was supposed to be submitted to the MPD tactical operations center. It means the alleged suspects were illegally detained.

Eleazar said the erring cops will be facing administrative and criminal charges. (SunStar Philippines)