Complaints were filed against National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) acting chief Major General Sidney Hernia and 14 other cops for alleged extortion following a raid in Malate, Manila.
According to Dano Tingcungco’s report in “24 Oras” on Monday, four Chinese citizens arrested by the Philippine National Police Anti-Cybercrime Group during the raid on alleged online scammers went to the National Police Commission to seek help.
In their complaint addressed to Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla, the complainants said the arrest was illegal and the arresting officers did not read their rights before them.
One of the foreigners also said that the cops even tried to extort P1 million from each of them in exchange for a lawyer who is allegedly connected to the higher-ups at the NCRPO and for their freedom.
The arrested Chinese citizens tried to haggle the amount with cops for P500,000 each.
“We took this opportunity to ask that we be allowed to contact our family and friends in order to raise the money that the respondents were demanding from us,” the complaint read. “We instead asked our family to hire us a real lawyer to help us in our current situation and legal problem.”
Aside from the administrative charges, the Chinese complainants also want preventive suspension to be issued upon Hernia to avoid possible influences on the investigation.
GMA Integrated News has reached out to Hernia and the PNP for comment.
Meanwhile, the owner of the building that was raided by authorities will also file charges against the police.
The owner said that the police could have coordinated with them first before they conducted the raid as another firm occupies the 23rd floor of the building.
“This is a licensed POGO before whose license was already revoked last year,” said lawyer Baby Arcega. “A single phone call would have clarified that Vertex is no longer in the building… what happened is they came charging at 23rd and 32nd floor.”
But the PNP said that Vertext just changed its business name.
“They could always make their claims po. Karapatan po nila yan (That’s their right) if they would like to question the validity and basis of police operations, they are not precluded from doing so,” said PNP spokesperson Brigadier General Jean Fajardo.
The lawyer claimed that the police tampered with the CCTV on the 23rd floor after the search warrant, but did not identify anyone.
The PNP stood firm on the validity of the operation.
“Karapatan naman po nila yun na magsampa ng kaso, but as far as the PNP-ACG is concerned…they’re still treating the 23rd floor ng Century Tower as crime scene po, ongoing pa po ang processing po diyan,” said Fajardo.
(They have the right to file a case but as far as the PNP-ACG is concerned…they’re still treating the 23rd floor of Century Tower as a crime scene and the processing is still ongoing.) —Vince Ferreras/LDF, GMA Integrated News
