PHILIPPINE National Police (PNP) chief General Dionardo B. Carlos on Friday announced the arrest of 3 members of the Palo Municipal Police Station in Leyte accused of sexually harassing and extorting money from a woman they ironically arrested and jailed on extortion charges in October last year.

The top cop said that the 3 accused identified as Police Senior Master Sergeant Alex Asis, Staff Sgt. Raffy Retosar, and Corporal Jerwin Dacillo were arrested in an entrapment operation conducted by members of the PNP Integrity Monitoring and Enforcement Group (PNP-IMEG) and the Police Regional Office 8 (PRO8) right inside the Palo Police Station around 5:00 p.m. Thursday.

The 3 were in civilian clothes when arrested during the sting. They denied the charges against them initially.

Citing a report from PNP-IMEG Director Brig. Gen. Oliver A. Enmodias, 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 3 local policemen.

It turned out that the accused arrested 3 persons involved in an alleged extortion case during an entrapment operation in a “Barangaynihan” Medical Mission in Palo on October 29, 2021.

One of the 3 identified as Tacloban City resident Cherie Quinones said that although she was already out on bail, the 3 policemen continued to harass her and extorted money from her for almost 4 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 M. Banac, the Palo Municipal Police Station, the local Highway Patrol Group, and Criminal Investigation and Detection Group conducted the operation which led to the arrest of the 3 policemen.

Confiscated from the possession of the 3 policemen were P6,000 in marked bills, P460 in different denominations, 2 PNP-issued Glock 17 9mm semi-automatic pistols with 2 magazines containing 29 live ammunition, and 4 mobile phones.

The 3 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 against them for grave misconduct.

Gen. Carlos said that the arrest of the 3 Palo policemen came in the wake of their intensified internal cleansing drive and amid his constant warning on members of the 225,000-strong police force to be role models when it comes to discipline and following the law.

“I assure the public that we are continuing without let-up our aggressive campaign to rid our ranks of this kind of policemen who are destroying our organization,” the top cop said.

Gen. Carlos also renewed his instruction to Brig. Gen. Enmodias and his men to show “no mercy” when it comes to going after police personnel who continue to tarnish the image of the PNP.

Following the arrest of the 3 Palo policemen, Brig. Gen. Enmodias called anew on the public to report the presence of any police personnel involved in irregularities to their hotlines 0998-9702286 (Smart) or 0995-7952569 (Globe). Information may also be forwarded to the Facebook Page: Integrity Monitoring and Enforcement Group, he added.

The PNP-IMEG director said that the identities of the informants will be kept in utmost secrecy.