25 'HULIDAP' COPS IN PASAY, MUNTINLUPA RELIEVED

Metro police chief Director Ricardo de Leon ordered yesterday the relief of
the 21-man personnel of a police precinct in Pasay City and four others in
Muntinlupa City for their alleged involvement in hulidap operations and
mulcting activities.

De Leon relieved elements of the entire precinct at the Philippine
International Convention Center (PICC) in Pasay City following complaints
filed by a number of promenading Filipinos, who allegedly shelled out large
sum of money to their captors in exchange for the dropping of charges of
public scandal against them.

According to De Leon, most of the victims of the suspects are lovers dating
at the PICC but fell prey to the modus operandi of the rouge cops. "Instead
of spending more time locating criminals, they are wasting their energy to
earn extra money from illegal activities which is taboo under my
leadership," said De Leon.

The Metro police chief explained that the PICC is one of the areas in Metro
Manila eyed for development as tourist spot and the continued presence of
the rouge cops would spell doom on their proposed project.

He vowed to totally stop the mulcting activities of erring policemen as he
ordered a close monitoring of other places in Metro Manila like the
dimly-lit areas of UP Campus in Quezon City and Caloocan City where rampant
"hulidap" operations have been reported.

"We are now shifting our attention to attract tourists in the country so
the entire police precinct will be replaced by tourists cops who will guide
foreigners during the entire stay here," De Leon pointed out.

De Leon ordered the conversion of the PICC police precinct into a TOP
Community Precinct to ensure the safety and security of tourists, both
foreign and local, who visits the scenic view of the Manila Bay, PICC and
its environs.

TOP cops are tourist police tasked to ensure a peaceful and orderly
environment for the security and safety of tourists in the metropolis to
reinforce the government's program to maintain Metro Manila's stature as a
major tourist destination in the Southeast Asian region.

The tourist police shall implement a sustained crime prevention program
anchored on the round-the-clock police visibility program for a
no-nonsense, zero tolerance enforcement of laws and ordinances in different
localities where tourists thrives. The operatives ­ apart from other
criminal offenses ­ will focus on crimes, such as violation of
anti-littering ordinances, anti-jaywalking ordinances, the anti-mendicancy
law, anti-illegal law and the anti-vandalism law.

In a related development, De Leon ordered the relief of PO1 Rolando Ty, PO1
Ilfredson Dizon, PO1 Boots Redita, and PO1 Felix Lenoa, of the PCP2 in
Muntinlupa City for mulcting P10,000 from two students last June 24.

The four cops accosted the victims at the Civic Drive, Filinvest, Alabang
but released them hours later after payment.