A POLICE major and his civilian cohort were arrested by operatives of the PNP integrity Monitoring and Enforcement Group on Monday for alleged extortion in Caloocan City.
IMEG chief Brig. Gen. Ronald Lee identified the officer as Maj. Celso Sevilla, commander of Sub-Station 10 of the Caloocan City PNP, and his cohort, Nestor Rivera. A third suspect, Cpl. Albert Cruz, remains at large.
The two were arrested in an entrapment operation inside the Sub-Station 10 on the complaint of a gasoline vendor.
IMEG operatives, backed by other police units, arrested the two as soon as Rivera handed to Sevilla the P300 in marked money that he had received from the complainant.
“We have received several complaints regarding the involvement of the two policemen in a massive protection racket in their area where they demand money from gasoline vendors in exchange for their unhampered business operation” said Lee.
Lee said the entrapment operation was organized after a complainant alleged the suspects have been demanding P300 a week from him and other gasoline vendors.
Sevilla, Rivera and Cruz are set to be charged with robbery extortion. The two cops will also face administrative charges, which may lead to their dismissal from service.
“We have arrested another police officer accused of extortion in line with our continuing implementation of Gen. Gamboa’s directive to go after rogues in uniform regardless of their rank and stature,” Lee said, referring to PNP chief Gen. Archie Gamboa.
“We assure the public too that we will immediately and properly act on all complaints against erring police officers and men being forwarded to us,” added Lee.
