‘Name cops who get ‘tong’ from farm trucks’

Tell us which policemen in Minglanilla and Talisay City are extorting money from passing trucks, and they will be investigated.

This was the appeal of Cebu Provincial Board Member Christopher Baricuatro after the mulcting practice was aired during  an assembly of second district barangay captains on Wednesday.

“If they have valid complaints but they are afraid to come out into the open, we will respect their request for anonymity.  We could sanction the police but we will have to observe due process,” said Baricuatro, who represents the second district of Cebu in the PB,.

He asked Dalaguete barangay officials who are in the business of transporting vegetables from their town to the Carbon Public Market in Cebu City to identify corrupt policemen .

If they are scared, Baricuatro said, he will arrange with Provincial Police Director Noel Gillamac to ensure their security.

According to some barangay leaders, the policemen would flag down their hauling trucks when they  pass  Tungkop in Mingalanilla town and when they enter the South Coastal Road (SCR) from Talisay City.

Some policemen  collect P200 from trucks that pass by.

The trucks  haul  vegetables to Carbon Market at least three times a week.

If they don’t  pay, truck drivers are cited for a traffic violation of overloading and  issued  a Temporary Operators Permit (TOP) requiring them to pay a fine of P1, 500.

Gillamac said he already ordered an investigation into the report.

He said  erring policemen  face administrative and criminal complaints if  they are involved.

Dalaguete administrator Rydal Cisnero said extortion could be prevented if farmers use plastic crates to transport their produce.

Cisnero said the municipal government distributed  P1.5 million worth of crates to farmers to help improve the transport of vegetables to the Carbon Market.

“The police have reason to flag down trucks coming from our town because to be honest, based on our evaluation, they are really overloaded,” he said.