Two members of the Quezon City Police District (QCPD) Mobile Patrol Unit were placed on “hot seats” and face dismissal from the police service when they tried to extort money from the 22-year-old son of incoming National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) chief Director Leonardo Espina.
According to QCPD director Chief Supt. Mario de la Vega, he already relieved the two policemen of their assignment in mobile patrol unit.
The two cops were identified as SPO4 Jose de la Peña and SPO2 Resty del Rosario.
The extortion try occurred last Tuesday night while the son of General Espina parked his car outside a Chinese School located on Hemady Street in Quezon City to call up a friend he was about to meet for dinner.
While talking to someone over his cellular phone, a patrol car stopped and De la Peña alighted and approached Espina’s son and accused him of engaging in phone sex.
De la Peña allegedly order Espina’s son to move to the passenger seat and took the wheel so they could drive to a nearby ATM machine to withdraw money.
According to General Espina, his son pleaded to the policemen that he had no money but the cops did not believe him and asked him to withdraw money from the ATM.
The policemen initially demanded from Espina’s son P20,000 but it was negotiated down to P10,000 and ended up to P5,000.
Upon reaching Santolan, also in Quezon City, the victim was ordered to alight the car to withdraw money.
At this juncture, Espina’s son called up his father.  Espina then asked his son to hand over the phone to De la Peña.
Espina said he asked De la Peña about his son’s alleged violation. De La Peña could not manage to say a word upon recognizing the voice of the general.
De La Peña then handed back the phone to Espina’s son and drove the car to Edsa corner Santolan where De la Peña and Del Rosario left him.
Espina then asked his son to go to Camp Crame.
According to QCPD Chief De la Vega, De la Peña has not reported for work after the incident last Tuesday.  
Del Rosario, for his part, said when he showed up yesterday afternoon to his unit he just followed the order of his superior De la Peña.
But De la Vega said he already ordered the two police officers to be disarmed, relieved of duty and seized their badges.
De la Peña and Del Rosario will be reassigned to the administration holding office at the QCPD headquarters.
“And if they will be found guilty of extortion, they will be dismissed from the police service,” De la Vega said.
Espina, meanwhile, assured the public the two police officers involved in the extortion try will not be forgiven and will face consequences since it was a clear case of extortion.
“I will not tolerate what happened, whether or not it was my son who was victimized by these scalawags,” Espina said.
Espina is set to formally assume his new post as the NCRPO director today (Friday), vacating his former post as director of the PNP-Highway Patrol Group.
PNP chief Director General Nicanor Bartolome named Espina as the incoming Metro Manila police chief, replacing Police Director Allan Purisima who will be the chief of the PNP directorial staff based at Camp Crame.
Purisima will replace Deputy Director General Arturo Cacdac Jr. who decided to file early retirement. Cacdac decided to apply for early retirement since his mandatory retirement will be on Oct. 11.
Cacdac in a ceremony at Camp Crame yesterday, officially turned over his post to Director General Emelito Sarmiento, a member of the Philippine Military Academy Class 1980.
Sarmiento was replaced by Deputy Director General Rommel Herredia as PNP deputy chief for operations.