MANILA, Philippines - Two Quezon City policemen are in hot water for attempting to extort money from no less than the son of the Metro Manila police chief.
Espina told reporters on Thursday his son momentarily parked his car along Hemady street in Quezon City to make a phone call to a friend he was supposed to meet in Greenhills. As he did so, the two policemen approached and dela Pena accused him of engaging in 'phone sex'.
"Sinasabi bawal daw 'yung ginagawa niya, phone sex daw 'yun. Phone sex daw sabi eh, tumatawag 'yung bata sa kanyang kaklase. Siyempre gagawa ka ng trumped up charge para masita mo 'yung tao (He was what my son was doing was illegal, that he was having phone sex. How could it be phone sex when he was calling a classmate. Of course you would cook up a trumped up charge to accost the person)," a visibly irked Espina said.
Dela Pena threatened Espina's 22-year old son with media exposure and the resulting humiliation, and then demanded a "fine" of P20,000 as "fine." The policeman then took the wheel of the car, making the young Espina move to the passenger seat, and drove the vehicle towards Camp Crame with del Rosario tailing them in the patrol car.
"Sumampa 'yung pulis, siya ang nagmaneho ng sasakyan ng anak ko... Nandu'n sa passenger seat 'yung anak ko. Ang sabi ng anak ko, 'Wala naman akong pera,' kasi ang baon ng anak ko lingguhan. 'Wala naman akong pera, ano pambabayad ko sa inyo?' 'Di rin niya alam ano sasabihin niya. Hanggang sa binaba ng binaba ni dela Pena, hanggang naging P5,000. Umabot sila diyan sa Gate 2 (Camp Crame) upang mag-withdraw sa ATM. Du'n na po naisip ng anak ko na tumawag sa akin (The police entered and drove my son's car ... My son was in the passenger seat. My son said, 'I have no money,' since he receives his allowance weekly. 'I have no money, what will I pay you with?' He did not know what to say. Dela Pena then lowered the demand until it became P5,000. They reached Gate 2 to withdraw money from the ATM. That was when my son thought of calling me)," Espina said.
As soon as he reached his father, Espina's son handed the phone to dela Pena. "Sabi ko: 'sino 'to?' Sabi niya: 'pulis ho.' 'Anong pangalan mo?' 'Pulis Joseph.' 'Sino po sila?' sabi sa akin. Sabi ko, 'Si Gen. Espina. Ano ang kasalanan ng anak ko? Kasi kung may kasalanan, wala namang problema.' Eh wala eh. Hindi na umimik (si dela Pena), binigay uli du'n sa anak ko 'yung telepono at nag U-turn, pinawalan 'yung anak ko (I said: 'who's this?' He said: 'police, Sir.' 'What's your name?' 'Policeman Joseph.' 'Who is this please?' he asked me. I said, 'This is Gen. Espina. What has my son done? Because if he has done something wrong, there's no problem.' But he had done nothing. He said nothing more, gave the phone back to my son and then they made a U-turn and let my son go) ," Espina said. Although the two policemen took no money from Espina's son, they said they made off with his driver's license, prompting him to seek the assistance of the Quezon City police.
Chief Superintendent Mario dela Vega, Quezon City police director, said the two policemen had no business meddling in the private conversations of people. "... Whatever it is, walang puwedeng makialam (nobody can meddle) because it's a private matter," he said.
Dela Vega said that the two policemen have not reported for duty since the night of the incident,a dding that they have until 9 p.n. Thursday to show up or be declared absent without leave. He has also instructed the QC police office’s finance unit to hold the salaries of the two policemen. Once they surface, the two will be placed under restrictive custody and disarmed.
Dela Vega expressed disappointment over the actions of his two policemen. He and Espina are "mistahs" or classmates at the Philippine Military Academy class of 1981.
Source: Interaksyon
