TWO Mindanao police training instructors accused of extorting money from their trainees in exchange for a “more lenient treatment” are now facing criminal and administrative charges following a thorough investigation conducted by the Philippine National Police-Integrity Monitoring and Enforcement (PNP-IMEG), a report to PNP Chief General Rodolfo S. Azurin Jr. said on Tuesday.

“We have filed criminal and administrative charges against the two policemen who have been accused ironically of corrupt activities by their students whom they are supposed to train to become honest and hardworking police officers. This is part of our stepped-up internal cleansing effort ordered by Gen. Azurin,” said PNP-IMEG Director Brig. Gen. Warren F. de Leon.

The official identified said the two suspects, both members of the Bangsamoro Administrative Region (BAR) Police Regional Office’s Regional Mobile Group, detailed as training staff of the BAR PNP’s Regional Special Training Unit (RSTU).

The two are now under the custody of their superiors and were asked to present themselves to the court and PNP investigating bodies once required.

According to De Leon, the two are now facing charges for robbery-extortion and violation of Republic Act 6713, otherwise known as the Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees, specifically two counts of conduct unbecoming of a police officer and RA 3091 or the Anti-Graff and Corrupt Practices Act.

De Leon said that members of the IMEG Mindanao Field Unit headed by Col. Mario C. Cortes placed the two under surveillance inside the BAR police headquarters in Camp Brigadier General Salipada Pendatun in Parang, Maguindanao following complaints regarding their supposed corrupt practices.

At around 9:00 a.m. last September 1, a team of IMEG-MFU operatives led by Chief Master Sergeant Arnold Badiang, in coordination with RPO-BAR RSTU chief, Lt. Col. Michael John Deloso, started building-up evidence against the two policemen.

De Leon said that the following day, students of the “Basic Internal Security Operations Course” or BISOC being conducted at the same camp complained that the two accused demanded P60,000 from them in exchange for a more “lenient/soft treatment during training”.

The PNP-IMEG director said that the class battalion commander and treasurer admitted that they gave in to the monetary demand of the two policemen after the accused promised they would be more lenient to all of them during their 60-day basic training.

The two BISOC students said they withdrew a total of P60,000 from their class fund and divided the money among the two police non-commissioned officers last August 27.

The two reportedly received P30,000 each from the BISOC class representatives right inside the car of one of the suspects at the parking lot of Alnor Mall in Cotabato City.

De Leon said that the two BISOC class representatives submitted their sworn statement against the two during the regular filing of the criminal charges against the accused before the Cotabato City Prosecutor’s Office last Monday.

He added that they had referred the filing of an administrative case for two counts of “Conduct Unbecoming of a Police Officer” and robbery (extortion) before the Regional Internal Affairs Service.