MANILA, Philippines — Four personnel of the Malabon police’s Drug Enforcement Unit were arrested while seven more officers are being hunted by the Counter-Intelligence Task Force following the rescue of a woman they allegedly kidnapped for ransom over the weekend.
A message from the CITF, which was created following in the wake of embarrassing disclosures of police personnel involved in crime, said Senior Police Officer 2 Ricky Pelicano, PO2 Wilson Sanchez, and PO1s Joselito Ereneo and Frances Camua were arrested during follow-up operations conducted with the Northern Police District’s intelligence division and other units on Monday, May 22 following the rescue of the victim, identified only as “Norma.”
The suspects still at large include personnel from the Civil Security Group and Criminal Investigation and Detection Group, the CITF said.
Norma’s family reported that she was “forcibly taken by said police officers in QC (Quezon City) on May 20, 2017 at about 8:00 p.m. after she visited the medium security compound in Bilibid, Muntinlupa,” the report said.
The abductors allegedly demanded P2 million for her release but later agreed to reduce this to P1 million but, at the same time, “also instigated the victim to transact with her Chinese contact for one kilo of shabu (crystal meth) which was picked up in a hotel in Novaliches, Quezon City.”
The CITF said Norma’s van was also recovered while “the victim is now being processed for release to her family.”
The four arrested suspects are detained at the CITF headquarters while all members of their unit have been relieved.