PHILIPPINE National Police chief, General Guillermo Lorenzo T. Eleazar on Monday ordered a full-blast investigation into complaints about alleged money-making racket of some policemen in stations on the release of PUPCs or persons under police custody.

“Nakarating sa akin ang mga reklamo ng ating mga kababayan tungkol sa diumano’y ilegal na aktibidad ng ilang tiwaling mga pulis kung saan sinasadyang patagalin ang pag-release ng mga detainees kahit may court order na upang pagkakitaan sa pamamagitan ng sinisingil na ‘board and lodging fee’, ‘protection fee’ at may ‘visitation fee’ pa,” the PNP chief said.

The racket has been in existence for many years but is believed to have been effectively checked by the PNP leadership with the regular conduct of jail checks and inspections by PNP Red Teams and counter-intelligence agents.

However, reports said some erring policemen particularly those assigned in stations with temporary lock-up facilities have “resurrected” the same old racket taking advantage of overcrowded jail facilities.

In some instances, there have been wide complaints that PUPCs are being asked to produce money so that they can get favorable spaces’ where they can sleep inside police jails, the money being collected by jail trustees or ‘mayores.’

Another complaint is that visitors including wives and children of the detainees are being asked to pay ‘visitation fee.’ Those who cannot pay the fee are not allowed to see a visitor while the moneyed ones can be visited even by their paramours or girlfriends.

“Dahil dito, inatasan ko na ang aming Integrity Monitoring and Enforcement Group na magsagawa ng imbestigasyon at mga operasyon tungkol dito kaya hinihikayat ko ang ating mga kababayan na makipagtulungan upang matukoy at agad na maparusahan ang mga pulis na sangkot dito,” he added.

The PNP-IMEG headed by Brigadier Gen. Flynn E. Dongbo is following-up the complaints and are looking for witnesses including PUPCs under bail who are willing to testify regarding the matter.

Based on the complaints received by the PNP chief, some policemen have been deliberately delaying the release of detainees despite the existence of release orders from the courts after the detainees have already posted bail.

The erring policemen would allegedly reason out that they could not yet release the detainees despite the court order as they still have to check if the subject detainees are facing other cases.

Gen. Eleazar emphasized that a background check on detainees must be done right after the arrest, purposely to determine if the subject detainees are also facing other cases or wanted for other criminal activities.

“I am also ordering all chiefs of police and other unit commanders to immediately release detainees under their custody if a court order is already issued and if the subject detainees have already complied with all the requirements for their release, except if they have other pending cases and if there are other legal grounds to continue their detention,” he said.

The top cop said he gave the instruction not only to ensure that PUPCs will be given due process and their rights under existing laws are fully respected but also to deny a few erring policemen to take advantage of the detainees and their relatives.