EBDANE: PROBE 'HULIDAP' COPS

Philippine National Police chief Director General Hermogenes E. Ebdane Jr.
yesterday ordered a full blast investigation into the arrest of three
Mandaluyong City policemen for alleged extortion right inside their station
Wednesday by agents of the PNP Anti-Illegal Drugs Special Operations Task
Force.

Ebdane issued the order amid claims by the three lawmen that they were
victims of a "set-up." Officials also said that the arrest, which was not
coordinated with the Eastern Police District, could have triggered a bloody
gunfight between the AID-SOTF agents and Mandaluyong City policemen who
were on duty that time.

"We will take the statements of all the policemen concerned and see who is
telling the truth," said an official privy to the forthcoming investigation.

The Directorate for Investigation and Detective Management and the Criminal
Investigation and Detection Group will spearhead the investigation.

Wednesday's operation triggered a rift between the Mandaluyong City police
and the AID-SOTF. "This is turning out to be a battle between policemen
which could eventually turn out to be bloody in the future," one officer
said on condition of anonymity.

Sources said AID-SOTF operatives in civilian clothes stormed the
Mandaluyong City police station triggering a near-gunfight with the shocked
local policemen.

Nabbed during the raid were SPO3 Rodel Castalone; PO1s Salvador del Mundo
and Jefferson Gonzales, all members of the Mandaluyong police
anti-narcotics unit; civilian Danilo Soriano and an unnamed police asset.

AID-SOTF agents led by Senior Supt. Arnold Aguilar said they arrested the
five upon the complaint of Alicia Lloreta. Lloreta accused the policemen of
extorting P100,000 from her in exchange for the release of her son,
Jericho, 33, whom they arrested on trumped-up drug charges.