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The Philippine National Police- Integrity Monitoring and Enforcement Group ( (PNP-IMEG) last Wednesday arrested the commander of a Manila police community precinct and his cohort for alleged robbery-extortion in Paco.

Colonel Ronald Lee, PNP-IMEG director, said arrested were Captain Josep Pedro Bocalbos, 55, commander of Paz Police Community Precinct.

Lee said they received complaints from vendors that Bocalbos and his cohort were extorting P150 from the complainants in exchange for allowing them to sell along the public market of Barangay Paz, Paco.

Bocalbos was arrested inside the police precinct around 6pm.

“We have arrested a police commissioned officer who has been the subject of complaint regarding his extortion activity. It turned out that Police Captain Bocalbos is extorting P150 daily from each vendor in Barangay Paz, Paco, Manilla . Once they fail to give the amount, they are being subjected to harassment by the officer,” Lee said.

On the same day, IMEG also arrested a personnel from PNP Health Service- Transport Section for demanding money from applicants so he can alter their medical results.

Lee said Staff Sergeant Zalun Bunugan was arrested in an entrapment operation at S&R Mall along Commonwealth Avenue in Fairview, Quezon City after he received P100,000 from the complainant.

“We also caught on the same day another policeman violating the strict no kotong (extortion) policy of the PNP leadership, one who is demanding money from police applicants by claiming he can alter the result of their medical records in exchange for big amount of money,” he said.

“We conducted the sting amid information that the accused was promising some police recruits who have failed the PNP medical examination that they will be able to pay their way into the 205,000-strong police organization,” he added.

The suspects are at PNP-IMEG jail pending the filing of criminal charges against them.

Both police officers will also be facing administrative charges for grave misconduct. Ella Dionisio/DMS