SECRETARY Jesse Robredo of the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) on Tuesday assured that he would not hesitate to sack officers of the Philippine National Police (PNP) who are involved in the alleged weekly collection of protection money from various night spots and fun houses in Metro Manila and other key cities nationwide.
Also, Robredo has asked businessmen who are being used as “milking cows” by unscrupulous officials of various PNP units to cooperate with the DILG and provide additional information that would lead to the apprehension of these officers and their civilian collectors.
He made the assurance a day after The Manila Times published a special report on the alleged practice of some members of the PNP of collecting weekly protection money from legitimate night-spot owners, who cough up P750 to P2,000 a week depending on the type of their business.
The DILG chief said that the protection racket was not new.
In fact, he added, there was a police officer who was reassigned to Mindanao after he was found to have engaged in bribe collection from night clubs.
“We need them [businessmen] to provide us with information about the racket, they can even send it through text and we will act on it accordingly,” Robredo said during an interview.
Bluebook
Some businessmen were hesitant to come out in the open out of fear of reprisal, but Robredo said that such fear would not help in solving the problem.
But a “bluebook” containing the names of police units and officers who are allegedly on the take may be provided to investigating authorities.
Many nightspot owners claimed that if they refused payment of protection money, their establishments would be raided right away.
The raiders, they said, then accuse them of employment of minors, prostitution and human trafficking.
Aware of this racket, National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) Director Magtanggol Gatdula, a former police general and director of the Quezon City Police District, has forbidden his men to operate against nightclubs.
The NBI allegedly used to compete with the PNP in “tong” collection.
According to reports, a certain Teddy handles the weekly collection supposedly for the National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO)-Regional Special Task Force under Chief Supt. Alan Purisima.
Other names include Ando, Spyke and Jun Polo who are in charge of the weekly collection intended for the PNP-Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (PNP-CIDG) and other police units based in Camp Crame.
The businessmen have expressed confidence that President Benigno Aquino 3rd, through his concerned Cabinet members, would address the issue and put a stop to police racket, which they consider as the best example of what the President refers to as “utak wang-wang” or those who abuse their authority for personal gain.
They said that such practice by members of the PNP reeks of corruption and must be investigated immediately.
Collectors
The businessmen said that the protection racket was allegedly being carried out by police using civilian collectors as fronts.
These collectors are also instructed to negotiate with businessmen on what amount they should shell out.
For instance, Ando reportedly collects for the National Capital Region (MetroManila)-Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (NCR-CIDG), CIDG Field Office Maverick, Special Operations Unit and Special Operations Group based in Camp Crame, the PNP headquarters in Quezon City.
Sources said a certain Spyke, a policeman, was designated to collect protection fees for the CIDG Maverick Unit alongside units such as Women’s Crisis and Child Protection Center, Women and Children’s Concern Office, Office of Business Concerns, Criminal Investigation and Detection Office, Intelligence-2, Anti-Transnational Crime Division-Crame, and units identified only as DSOD and CIOB, which are also based in Camp Crame.
At the local level, police officials also have their own collectors.
In Quezon City, a civilian collector named “Jun Polo” is the one reportedly making the rounds, collecting for the Quezon City Police District- Special Project Unit (QCPD-SPU) while protection money for the QCPD City Hall Detachment is being handled reportedly by a certain Rodel.
Mayor Herbert Bautista of Quezon City immediately denied having knowledge of the police practice in his city, saying that he “doesn’t know anything about the issue.”
QCPD Director Chief Supt. George Regis assured that he would check the names of those allegedly involved and make heads roll if the issue on “payola” collection by police in Quezon City was true.
Midnight deals
The businessmen said that they are tired of paying huge taxes to the local government and did not have to pay for police protection since the police force is mandated to “serve and protect.”
The collection of the protection money was likened to “midnight deals” because the money is picked up at midnight by the collectors.
