CIDG-Bacolod chief, cohort face rob, extort raps

Jay-R dela Cruz (center) and Police Major Melvin Madrona, Criminal Investigation and Detection Group-Bacolod chief, are being processed at a Police Station in Bacolod City, Negros Occidental on February 27, 2020.|Photo courtesy of PNP-IMEG

DUMAGUETE CITY, Negros Oriental — The chief of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) in Bacolod City and a civilian cohort were charged with robbery and extortion at the Bacolod City Prosecutor’s Office late Friday afternoon, February 28, 2020.

Police Colonel Ronald Lee, Philippine National Police Integrity Monitoring and Enforcement Group (PNP-IMEG) chief, identified the accused as Police Major Melvin Madrona, head of the CIDG -Bacolod and his civilian cohort, Jay-R dela Cruz, a 40-year-old fighting cock handler from the Guanzon Cockpit Arena in Mansilingan, Bacolod City.

“We have arrested another police officer accused of extortion in line with our continuing implementation of General Gamboa’s directive to go after rogues in uniform regarding their rank and stature,” Lee said in a statement.

“We assure the public too that we will immediately and properly act on all complaints against (the) erring police officers and men being forwarded to us,” Lee further said.

Entrapment operation

To recall the two suspects were arrested during an entrapment operation inside the cockpit arena in Mansilingan.

They were handcuffed after they received the P5,000 marked bills from the complainants around 5:35 p.m. Thursday, February 27, 2020.

The arresting officers came from the PNP-IMEG Visayas Field Unit and were backed by a team of  policemen from the PNP Special Action Force, the 6th Criminal Investigation and Detection Unit and the Police Regional Office 6 Regional Intelligence Division, Lee said.

KTV owners’ complaint

He also said that he ordered the entrapment operation against the suspects after he received a complaint from the owners of the Ztrip Zone KTV Bar at the Golden Field Commercial Complex in Barangay Singcang, Bacolod City.

The KTV bar’s owners Ashly Alba, Rosalie Pesquera and Rizaldy Claver sought police assistance after the suspects allegedly demanded a weekly P5,000 protection money and to be collected every Thursday.

The complainants allegedly assured the owners for P5,000 a week, the KTV bar would allegedly not be raided.

A separate administrative case would also be filed against the policeman./dbs