WPD DRUG BUSTER BUSTED

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WPD DRUG BUSTER BUSTED

THE head of the Western Police District's anti-drug unit has been sacked
due to numerous complaints of extortion against him and his men.

Deputy Director General Edgar Aglipay said Supt. Marcelino Pedroro, Jr.
should be relieved while the extortion complaint is being investigated.

Pedroso and his men were accused of trying to extort P600,000 from a
Chinese storeowner in Binondo, Manila. The businessman was told that drug
charges will be filed against him if he did not pay up.

Aglipay, head of the Anti-Illegal Drugs Special Operations Task Force
(AID-SOTF), vowed to file charges against Pedroso and his men should they
be found guilty of the accusations against them.

He said Pedroso's relief should serve as a warning that he will rid
AID-S0TF ranks of personnel involved in extortion cases like frame-up,
planting of evidence, "bangketa," "hulidap," "kalawit," and kidnapping.

"Bangketa and kalawit cops are the devils in the organization. We will not
stop until we crush the last in their tribe," Aglipay stressed.

Metro police chief Director Ricardo de Leon earlier ordered Pedroso
investigated after four of his men and those from the intelligence unit
were accused of shaking down a Chinese couple.

The Metro police chief also ordered WPD director Chief Supt. Pedro Bulaong
to revamp the WPD's anti-drug unit and other support units to stop
extortion cases.

Aglipay said there will be no whitewash of Pedroso's case, adding that the
officer's calling cards were also recovered from a raided shabu laboratory
in Paranaque City last year. He said that at least 302 erring policemen
have been arrested since the drive against police scalawags was launched
last year.

Among those arrested was Senior Insp. Wilfredo Abordo, head of the Manila
police station 8 anti-drug unit. Abordo was captured inside Camp Crame last
month for his involvement in the kidnapping of suspected drug lord Benito
Chua in Las Pinas City.

Abordo, a member of the Philippine National Police Academy (PNPA) Class
'98, and 13 others were charged with kidnapping before the Department of
Justice.

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WPD ANTI-DRUG CHIEF DENIES HE WAS SACKED

WESTERN Police District anti-drug unit chief Supt. Marcelino Pedrozo Jr.
yesterday cried foul over reports that he had been sacked as the result of
his men's alleged abduction of a Filipino-Chinese couple in Sta. Cruz,
Manila, last week.

"Why should I be relieved when I am not being investigated at all. My name
has not been linked to the controversy so my reported relief was baseless.
Gen. Pedro Bulaong asked me some questions about the issue and he gave me a
chance to clear my name," Pedrozo said.

Pedrozo added the reports are unfair and malicious which he stressed only
tend to discredit him in public.

The embattled official said that he is always under attack since he holds a
very sensitive post.

"I am ready to face anyone or anything that they will hurl against me
provided they have strong evidence to support their accusations. But if they
file charges against me based on mere hearsay, then, the more reasons for me
to fight them up to my last breath," Pedrozo said.

To erase suspicions that he is tolerating his men, Pedrozo revealed that he
has already expressed his cooperation to whatever investigation that would
be conducted against them.

Pedrozo assured that photos of operatives allegedly involved in illegal
operations will be shown to the victims for identification.