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Zambo City police official, 4 cops nabbed for robbery-extortion

By Teofilo Garcia, Jr.

March 23, 2021, 2:43 pm

<p><strong>NABBED.</strong> Maj. Orlyn Leyte, officer in charge of the Zamboanga City Police Office’s (ZCPO) Station 9, was arrested along with four other police officers for extortion in an entrapment operation on Monday (March 22, 2021). The operation stemmed from a complaint of a businesswoman who complained that she was robbed of jewelry and a week's worth of her store earnings by Leyte and his men in the guise of an anti-drug operation on March 11. <em>(Photo courtesy of PNP)</em></p>

NABBED. Maj. Orlyn Leyte, officer in charge of the Zamboanga City Police Office’s (ZCPO) Station 9, was arrested along with four other police officers for extortion in an entrapment operation on Monday (March 22, 2021). The operation stemmed from a complaint of a businesswoman who complained that she was robbed of jewelry and a week's worth of her store earnings by Leyte and his men in the guise of an anti-drug operation on March 11. (Photo courtesy of PNP)

ZAMBOANGA CITY – The chief of a police station in this city was arrested in an entrapment operation for extortion and robbery by a joint team of policemen led by the Integrity Monitoring Enforcement Group (IMEG), officials announced Tuesday.

Brig. Gen. Ronaldo Genaro Ylagan, Police Regional Office-9 (PRO-9) director, identified the arrested officer as Maj. Orlyn Leyte, the officer in charge of the Zamboanga City Police Office’s (ZCPO) Station 9.

Ylagan said Leyte was arrested after receiving PHP90,000 in an entrapment operation around 6:45 p.m. Monday in his office in Barangay Ayala, where his Station 9 is located.

Ylagan said that the PHP90,000 consisting of PHP2,000 genuine bills with ultraviolet powder and 88 pieces of photocopied PHP1,000 bills as boodle money represent payment for the settlement of an alleged drug case against a businesswoman.

However, Col. Rexmel Reyes, ZCPO director, said the businesswoman filed a complaint that she was robbed of jewelry and a week's worth of her store earnings by policemen in the guise of an anti-drug operation on March 11, thus, the launch of entrapment operation.

Ylagan said that the other four policemen involved in the robbery extortion have been relieved from Station 9 and were reassigned to the ZCPO’s City Personnel Holding and Accounting Section.

Ylagan identified them as Staff Sergeant Hegenio Salvador, Staff Sergeant Asser Abdulkadim, Corporal Ismael Sasapan Hassan, and Corporal Juman Arabani.

Ylagan said his command does not tolerate any wrongdoings of its personnel “either officer or members of the ranks”.

“While we intensify our campaign against illegal drugs and effectively manage all kinds of police operations, we do not want any unscrupulous schemes devised by our personnel to advance their personal interest,” he said.

He said a case of robbery extortion and violation of Republic Act 3019, anti-graft and corrupt practices act, and Republic Act 6713, Code of Conduct and Ethical Standard for Public Official and Employees, are being prepared against the involved policemen.

He added that Leyte and the four policemen are now temporarily detained at the lock-up cell of ZCPO. (with report from Lloyd Caliwan/PNA)

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