Zamboanga City Police Office Station 11 (Photo courtesy of Gen. Eleazar Facebook)
MANILA – The anti-scalawag unit of the Philippine National Police (PNP) arrested a police officer for alleged extortion in an entrapment operation in Zamboanga City on Saturday.
Brig. Gen. Flynn Dongbo, the Integrity Monitoring and Enforcement Group (IMEG) Director, identified the suspect as Cpl. Alexis Garcia, an investigator of the Drug Enforcement Team Police Station 11 of the Zamboanga City Police Office.
He was nabbed during an entrapment operation along Mayor Climaco Avenue shortly after he received marked money from a complainant.
Recovered from the suspect were one PHP1,000 marked money, one bundle boodle money, PNP identification card, one pistol, 22 live ammunitions, and firearms license card.
In a statement on Sunday, Dongbo said they have received numerous complaints on Garcia allegedly extorting money from the family of suspects in exchange for the dismissal of cases or assurance that the suspects will not be transferred to the Zamboanga City Jail.
One walk-in complainant alleged that the suspect demanded PHP120,000 so that an arrested drug offender will remain at Police Station 11.
Garcia was brought to the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group Regional Field Unit 9 for documentation. He will be facing criminal and administrative charges.
Dongbo called on the public to report irregularities involving uniformed and non-uniformed PNP members to 0998-970-2286 or 0995-795-2569.
Information may also be forwarded to Facebook account Integrity Monitoring and Enforcement Group. (PNA)
