Police officer assigned at the Mambaling Police Station in Cebu City was arrested after he allegedly extorted money from a motorist he flagged down for a traffic violation last January 25. | Contributed photo
CEBU CITY, Philippines — Policemen in Cebu City are warned not to engage in any illegal activities such as extortion or they are going to face the consequences of their action.
Police Colonel Ireneo Dalogdog, Cebu City Police Office (CCPO) director, gave this warning after a police traffic investigator of the Mambaling Police Station was arrested for allegedly extorting money from a motorist that he flagged down during a traffic checkpoint operation in Atillos Street, Brgy. Mambaling on Jan. 25, 2023.
Dalogdog identified the arrested police investigator as Police Staff Sergeant Dennis Paul Traya, 40.
“This is a strong message to our personnel sa Cebu City Police Office that we will not condone, we will not tolerate any wrongdoing made by our personnel, Dalogdog said.
(This is a strong message to our personnel in the Cebu City Police Office that we will not condone, we will not tolerate any wrongdoing made by our personnel.)
“So, we are serious sa atoang internal cleansing program. There will be no whitewash or covering this kind of incident, and this personnel involve in this illegal activity, he will face the consequences,” he said.
(So, we are serious in our internal cleansing program. There will be no whitewash or covering this kind of incident, and this personnel involved in this illegal activity, he will face the consequences.)
Dalogdog said that complaints of extortion and administrative cases against Traya were being readied as of this posting.
The arrest of Traya was a joint operation of the Integrity Monitoring and Enforcement Group Visayas Field Unit (IMEG 7), Mambaling Police Station, and other police units. He was arrested at Tres De Abril Street in Barangay San Nicolas in Cebu City.
Traya allegedly asked this motorcycle driver to pay P1,500 so that his vehicle could be released from custody.
This was after a citation ticket was issued allegedly for an expired vehicle registration during a checkpoint in Brgy. Mambaling on the same day.
But instead of following the police’s instruction, the rider reported the incident to the IMEG 7. The police unit then immediately conducted an entrapment operation against Traya.
Dalogdog also said that Police Major Jonathan Taneo, chief of Mambaling Police Station, would not be relieved from his post because he had no knowledge about Traya’s illegal activities.
In fact, the Mambaling police cooperated with the other police units when the entrapment operation was made.
“Mao na akong gipakuan sa mga station commanders nga matamaan ta sa command responsibility. Kung ikaw magpabaya nga imohang personnel dili nimo mapugngan kung naay illegal activity, (then) that will cause the relief also of the station commander,” Dalogdog said.
(That is what I told my station commanders that we can be held liable for command responsibility. If you are remiss in stopping personnel under your command from committing any illegal activity, then that will cause the relief also of the station commander.)
Pending the investigation, Traya is being held at the holding facility of the Police Regional Office in Central Visayas (PRO 7).
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