Pubdate: Sat, 12 Feb 2005
Source: Visayan Daily Star (Philippines)
Copyright: 2005 Visayan Daily Star
Contact:  http://www.visayandailystar.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1688
Author: Donalyn Guerrero
Cited: Philippine National Police http://www.pnp.gov.ph
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/find?236 (Corruption - Outside U.S.)
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/areas/Philippines

ANTI-DRUGS POLICEMAN NABBED FOR 'EXTORTION'

A member of the Provincial Anti-Illegal Drugs Task Force was nabbed in a 
joint entrapment operation conducted by the Bacolod City Mobile Group and 
the Negros Occidental intelligence and investigation branch at Galo Street, 
Brgy. 19, Bacolod City at about 7 p.m. yesterday.

PO1 Christian Ian Peramo Dingcong, 29, married, of Paglaum Village, Brgy. 
Mansilingan, Bacolod, was charged for bribery and violation of Republic Act 
3019, or the anti-graft and corruption practices act, police reports said.

Chief Inspector Jimmy Fortaleza, chief of the CMG, told the DAILY STAR that 
Dingcong was nabbed by the police for allegedly extorting money from an 
arrested drug suspect, Joffer Torres Fernandez, of Sunshine Valley 
Subdivision, Brgy. Estefania.

Dingcong was arrested after he received the P5,000 in marked money from 
Fernandez who had earlier sought police assistance.

Fortaleza said Fernandez was nabbed by Dingcong and other task force 
operatives led by Senior Inspector Rico Santotome on Feb. 4 by virtue of 
search warrant issued by Judge Lorna Demonteverde of MTCC, Branch 2.

He said Fernandez complained that Dingcong asked him for P50,000 to 
withdraw the case against him.

However, Fernandez said, he only managed to raise P25,000 which he endorsed 
to Dingcong at Paglaum Village in Brgy. Mansilingan sometime last week.

Fernandez said Dingcong asked him for the remaining P25,000 and later 
reduced it to P10,000.

He later sought assistance from the police and agreed to the entrapment 
operation.

Fortaleza said they raised P5,000 to use as marked money and this was later 
recovered from Dingcong.

Meanwhile, Negros Occidental provincial director, Charles Calima Jr. said 
he had received several complaints about extortion cases in Negros Occidental.

Calima said the apprehension of Dingcong will serve as a lesson to all 
policemen under his command and stressed that he will not tolerate such 
behavior. "I hope this incident will be the first and the last," Calima said.

Dingcong, who will face criminal and administrative charges for his act, 
refused to give any comment on the allegations against him.
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