2 cops nabbed for alleged robbery-extortion in Masbate City

July 12, 2020

The Philippine National Police-Integrity Monitoring and Enforcement Group (PNP-IMEG) on Sunday arrested a Maritime Police chief and one of his cohorts for their alleged involvement in robbery-extortion in Masbate City.

Police Brigadier General Ronald Lee, IMEG director, said Police Major John Cutaran, chief of the 502nd Maritime Police Station, was arrested together with another cop in an entrapment operation around 8:25 am inside their office located at Pier Site in Barangay Bapor, Masbate City.

"We have arrested another rogue police officers accused of extortion in line with our continuing implementation of Police General (Archie) Gamboa’s directive to go after rogues in uniform regardless of their rank and stature” Lee said.

“The entrapment operation was conducted following a series of validation of intelligence reports regarding the alleged extortion activities of Major Cutaran and his men,” he said.

The suspects were apprehended shortly after they received the P200,000 which they demanded from the operator of a fishing vessel they impounded for alleged involvement in illegal fishing activities in their territory.

Based on the investigation, the maritime policemen intercepted the vessel and arrested its skipper, together with his 28 crew.

“They later contacted the fishing boat owner based in Bantayan Island in Cebu province and initially demanded P400,000 from him in exchange for the release of his fishing vessel and employees,” Lee said.

The police official said the fishing boat operator sought their help to arrest the erring policemen and traveled all the way from Bantayan Island to Masbate City on board another boat while accompanied by undercover IMEG officers.

Lee said arrested suspects were disarmed by members of the PNP-IMEG Luzon and Visayas Field Units while manhunt operation is conducted against two more cops who remain at-large.

The suspects were whisked to the Masbate Police Provincial Office for booking and documentation shortly after their arrest.

The IMEG director said they will file criminal and administrative charges against the arrested suspects. Ella Dionisio/DMS