MANILA — The Department of Justice (DOJ) has filed robbery charges at the Valenzuela City Regional Trial Court against three policemen and their accomplice, who were arrested for allegedly extorting money from junk shop owners in the city.
In a five-page inquest resolution, the DOJ ordered the filing of robbery charges against Senior Police Officer 4 Serafin Adante, Police Officers 1 Rey Harvey Florano, and Ryand Paul Antimaro, all assigned at Precinct 8; and Amado Baldon Jr.
The filing of the charges was based on a resolution penned by DOJ Assistant State Prosecutor Loverhette Jeffrey Villordon, finding probable cause against the policemen and Baldon.
The Philippine National Police Counter Intelligence Task Force lodged the case against the four suspects based on the complaint of Danilo Balar, a junk shop owner in Valenzuela, who claimed that the group collected from him PHP200 to PHP500 nightly.
“In this case, all the elements of the crime of robbery are present. There is personal property in the form of the two marked PHP100 belonging to the complainant…The said money was taken by the respondents while they were onboard their patrol car,” read the DOJ resolution.
“The intent to gain is presumed from the taking of things. Finally, there is apparent intimidation of persons as complainant was told by the police to hand over money in order for him not to be ‘inconvenienced’,” it added.
The four men were arrested in an entrapment operation after receiving a tip from a junkshop employee. They were caught receiving PHP200 marked money from Balar’s employee.
Balar claimed that a certain Senior Insp. Adonis Paul G. Escamillan required them to pay the said “fee”.
The DOJ said Escamillan, who was not arrested in the entrapment operation, will be subjected to a preliminary investigation on August 13 and August 20. (Christopher Lloyd Caliwan/PNA)
