THREE policemen from Palo, Leyte on Thursday were arrested after they were accused of not only extorting money but for sexually harassing a woman whom they arrested last year for a case relating to fixing documents for police applicants.
Philippine National Police Chief Gen. Dionardo Carlos identified the accused as Police Senior MSgt. Alex Asis, Staff Sgt. Raffy Retosar and Cpl. Jerwin Dacillo.
The three were caught in an entrapment operation conducted by members of the PNP Integrity Monitoring and Enforcement Group and the Police Regional Office 8 right inside the Palo Police Station around 5 p.m. on Thursday.
The three were in civilian clothes when arrested during the sting. They denied the charges hurled against them.
The PNP chief said that the sting was conducted following a formal complaint received by the IMEG Visayas Field Unit regarding the irregularities being committed by the three local policemen. It turned out that the accused arrested three persons involved in an alleged extortion case during an entrapment operation in a “Barangayanihan” Medical Mission in Palo on October 29, 2021.
One of the three identified as Tacloban City resident Cherie Quinones said that although she was already out on bail, the three policemen continued to harass her and extorted money from her for almost four months. Apart from that, the woman claimed she suffered sexual harassment from the policemen.
Acting on the complaint, the IMEG Visayas Field Unit, in coordination with the PRO8 headed by Brig. Gen. Bernard Banac, the Palo Municipal Police Station and the local Highway Patrol Group and Criminal Investigation and Detection Group conducted the operation, which led to the arrest of the three cops.
Confiscated from the three policemen were P6,000 in marked bills, P460 in different denominations, two PNP-issued Glock 17 9mm semi-automatic pistols with two magazines containing 29 live ammunition and four mobile phones.
The three lawmen were placed under the custody of the CIDG Region 8 Office pending the filing of criminal charges for extortion, robbery and sexual harassment and administrative charges for grave misconduct.
