2 ‘hulidap’ cops face 2 more extort raps

Tuesday, April 17, 2012 00:00 journal.com.ph FIRST, it was two Koreans. Then, a Japanese. Could there be more? Amid information that a Japanese national has surfaced anew claiming that he too was a victim of extortion by the two Manila Police District (MPD) cops whom Manila Mayor Alfredo S. Lim earlier ordered subjected to summary dismissal proceedings and then charged both administratively and criminally, the mayor is now urging others who may have suffered the same fate to come out and also file a complaint. The call was made by Lim after receiving information that Iwasaki Kinitchi, 53, a Japanese national, went to the MPD-General Assignment Section a couple of days after the two cops were presented by the mayor to media. There, Kinitchi alleged that he, too, was victimized by the duo while he was walking in Makati City on the evening of April 4, Holy Wednesday. Kinitchi, who was accompanied by members of the Makati Police Criminal Investigation Division since it was with Makati that he first lodged his complaint, positively identified the two as PO2 Reynaldo Faller Olivo, 37, of Blk.5 Lot 11, Model Community, Tondo, Manila, and PO1 Vincent Paul Ubaldo Medina, 26, of 2253 F. Munoz St., Singalong, Malate, Manila. Both were assigned at the mobile patrol of MPD-Station 5 and are now out on bail after robbery-extortion charges were filed against them before the Manila Prosecutor’s Office. In his complaint before SPO1 John Cayetano of the MPD-GAS, Kinitchi said Olivo and Medina threatened to charge them with illegally staying in the country and in exchange for freedom, they allegedly took his money amounting to P155,000 in all. It will be recalled that prior to this, Lim presented Olivo and Medina before the media after two Koreans, identified as Lee Jun Hee and Baek Sung Kyun, positively identified them from a gallery of photos as the ones who ‘accosted’ them and then took their money amounting to P20,000 near the vicinity of the Malate Church last April 7, or on Black Saturday. Noting that the two cops have the ranks of police officers 1 and 2 and are therefore relatively new in the police force, Lim said: “Once again, I reiterate my call on all members of the police, including those who are yet planning on becoming policemen, that they should never consider entering the force as a quick means to make money because that is not what becoming a policeman is all about.” Lim also stressed that as he has said time and again, the badge and uniform must never be used as a license to commit wrongdoings or abuses against hapless civilians, as he frowned on information that Olivo and Medina were reportedly in their uniforms and were aboard a mobile car when the incident happened. The victims claimed they were casually whiling time away and walking in Malate from their hotel at around 3 a.m. of the said date when the two cops accosted them and then took their money amounting to P20,000. Accompanied by Wesley Co and Leo Anthony Balantac of the Korean Embassy’s legal office, the victims filed a complaint before the MPD-General Assignment Section and identified the policemen who ‘victimized’ them from a gallery of photos presented to them.