POLICE Counter-Intelligence Task Force (CITF) arrested Thursday morning, January 24, the deputy commander of a Makati police station over alleged extortion of habal-habal drivers.

CITF commander Senior Superintendent Romeo Caramat Jr. identified the arrested policeman as Senior Police Officer 4 Danilo Paghubasan, deputy commander of the Makati Police Community Precinct 9.

Caramat said Paghubasan was arrested after receiving P15,000 marked money during an entrapment operation conducted by the CITF and Philippine National Police (PNP) Intelligence Group (IG) in Barangay Ususan, Taguig City around 6:45 a.m.

Caramat said the operation stemmed from the complaint of a habal-habal driver after Paghubasan asked for P15,000, which serves as “membership fee,” or else they will not be allowed to pick up passengers at their illegal terminal along C5 in Taguig.

He said after a surveillance operation, Paghubasan was found to have been collecting P150 per day from 40 habal-habal drivers in the area, otherwise they will be apprehended by his police cohorts from the Taguig Police Community Precinct (PCP) 8.

"It has also been observed during surveillance by PNP IG and CITF that the arrested subject is seemingly not reporting/performing his official duties as personnel of PCP 9, Makati City PS because he was frequently seen in plainclothes at the habal-habal terminal of said place,” added Caramat.

Paghubasan is now under the custody of CITF for proper disposition and filing of appropriate charges. (SunStar Philippines)