A police officer whose family had been victimized by the alleged extortion activities of three members of the Silay police Special Weapons and Tactics team, yesterday vowed to pursue criminal and administrative charges against them.

Canlaon City police chief Petronilo Gracia yesterday turned a deaf ear to the pleadings of the three Silay SWAT team members, and even from his fellow officers, not to pursue the complaints.

SPO2 Hector Balbon, PO2 Peter Job Bernesa and PO1 Arnold Gamboa - Silay SWAT team members - have been disarmed and relieved from their assignments, Negros Occidental police chief Charles Calima announced yesterday.

Police investigations show that, at about 11 p.m. of October 18, the three policemen and traffic enforcer Remy Pabilaran flagged down a cargo truck driven by Jaime Managaytay, at the Silay highway, that came from San Carlos City and was headed to the Reclamation Area in Bacolod City to deliver scrap metal.

The Gracia family owned the shipment of scrap metals intercepted by the Silay police force.

Although Managaytay presented documents showing the legality of the transport of scrap metals, Gracia said the three policemen and Pabilaran continued looking for "loopholes", in what was seen as an attempt to extort money from the driver and his helper.

Failing to give the amount of P1,000 that was later reduced to P700, Gracia said the three policemen settled for 100 kilos of scrap iron, three kilos of bronze and a kilo of aluminum, from Managaytay, before they were allowed to go.

The scrap metal was loaded on the Silay police patrol vehicle and taken away by the three policemen and Pabilaran, Gracia added.

Mayor Carlo Gamban expressed dismay over the alleged involvement of the three policemen in the case.

Senior Inspector Samuel Mina, acting Silay police chief, said he cannot fathom why Balbon, Bernesa and Gamboa have to resort to such illegal activity, because the Silay police force receives assistance from the local government unit.

Each member of the Silay police force receives a monthly allowance of P2,000, on top of the support from the city government of Silay in the form of gasoline, communication equipment, patrol vehicles, firearms and ammunition and training facility for SWAT trainees, he said.

The probe on Balbon, Bernesa and Gamboa is being handled by the Investigation Division of the Negros Occidental provincial police office.

"We have no moral ascendancy to implement the law, if we ourselves are lawbreakers,:" Calima reminded Negrense policemen.*GPB

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