AUTHORITIES arrested two former members of the Philippine National Police (PNP) for allegedly trying to extort money from a Chinese national in Pasay City.
Edward Gacutan, 32, and Eduardo Cayabyab, 48, were arrested Friday, August 28, 2020 and were turned over to the Pasay City Police Station for the proper disposition and investigation of the case.
Complaints for possible kidnapping, theft, illegal possession of firearms, usurpation of authority, and illegal use of PNP uniform and insignia are being prepared against the suspects.
National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) Director Debold Sinas said Gacutan was dismissed from the PNP in 2012. His last assignment was in Central Luzon.
Cayabyab retired in 2017 and his last assignment was in the then Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.
Sinas said the two were arrested after they received a report from a Chinese national who alleged that Gacutan approached him after he boarded a taxi and cautioned him for not wearing a face shield.
The victim said Gacutan sat beside him while Cayabyab was getting off another vehicle.
When Cayabyab tried to get into the taxi and sit on his other side, the Chinese national said he hit the former policeman in the head with his cellphone, ran towards a hotel and sought assistance.
The hotel staff called the police who immediately responded together with the agents of the Intelligence Monitoring and Enforcement Group who were then conducting monitoring along Edsa.
Police immediately spotted the suspects who were positively identified by the victim.
Recovered from the two suspects were a Samsonite black knapsack owned by the victim. It contained a pair of pants, a T-shirt, a headset, shoes and PLDT modem with an estimated combined value of P14,500.
Police also recovered an unlicensed caliber 45 Medallion with one magazine loaded with eight bullets, expired PNP identification cards; a gray Toyota Revo with plate no XEX 636 ; and other assorted IDs. (Third Anne Peralta-Malonzo/SunStar Philippines)