SHAPE UP OR FACE RELIEF

National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) Director Ricardo de Leon
warned his 37 station commanders in Metro Manila yesterday to shape up or
face relief amid the rampant "hulidap" and extortion rackets officers in
the guise of a legitimate anti-drug operations.

De Leon issued his warning a day after relieving Manila police station
chief for command responsibility following complaints that his men were
involved in extortion operations last week.

"This is my last warning to station commanders - either they shape up or
they will be relieved. I will not hesitate to sack them if they fail to
implement standard operating procedures in the conduct of anti-drug
operations," De Leon said in an interview during the 31st founding
anniversary of the Eastern Police District (EPD) yesterday.

De Leon explained that all anti-drug officers must be armed with a
pre-operations report duly approved by the station commanders.

The raiders must be in proper uniform, armed with search or arrest warrants
and must have properly coordinated their operation either with the station
commander, district director or his office.

The proper receiving of evidence and logging on the police blotter of
arrested suspects must be accomplished before the preparation of a spot report.

The raiders should also forward for laboratory examination the evidence
confiscated, not less than six hours after the operations.

"If we accomplish these procedure it means that our anti-drug operations
are above board and nobody can accuse us of any wrongdoing," he said.

Like in the case of the alleged shakedown in Manila , De Leon said a
station commander could be sacked for command responsibility if he fails to
stop his men from conducting bangketa, hulidap and extortion rackets.

He also reiterated his call for the disbandment of all anti-drug units in
the station level and deploy displaced personnel to street duties.

3 Cops Released A city prosecutor ordered yesterday the release for further
investigation of three Mandaluyong City policemen arrested last Wednesday
by elements of the Anti-Illegal Drugs Special Operations Task Force
(AID-SOTF) for allegedly extorting P150,000 from a relative of an arrested
drug pusher.

Assistant City Prosecutor II Flor Silao ordered the release of SPO34 Rodel
Castalone, head of the Drug Enforcement Unit (DEU) of the Mandaluyong City
police, and his two men PO1 Salvador del Mundo and PO1 Jefferson Gonzales
after reviewing evidence forwarded by AID-SOTF.

"Considering that the evidence being alleged in the complaint does not fall
under the warrantless arrest, it is deemed that the accused policemen
should be released for further investigation," said part of Silao's
decision as quoted by Superintendent Ericson Velasquez, Mandaluyong City
police chief.

Velasquez said AID-SOTF filed Thursday night extortion cases against
Castalone, del Mundo, Gonzales and errand boy Danny Soriano before the
Mandaluyong City prosecutor's office.

Soriano, Velasquez said, signed a waiver of detention for his continued
stay at the Mandaluyong City detention center.

Silao had asked Soriano to explain why P20,000 in marked money was found in
his possession.

According to Velasquez, AID-SOTF also clarified that Castalone, Del Mundo
and Gonzales were not arrested, but "invited for questioning" on the
strength of a complaint by the mother of a drug suspect. The complainant
claimed DEU operatives asked P50,000 for the release of her son or P30,000
for the downgrading of charges.

The three DEU operatives vehemently denied the accusation. In his report to
Chief Superintendent Oscar Valenzuela, director of the Eastern Police
District (EPD), Velasquez said the complainant, who has five pending drug
cases in court, concocted the extortion story to destroy the credibility of
the arresting officers.