Traffic police in Zamboanga City nabbed for alleged robbery-extortion

August 2, 2020

A traffic cop was arrested by the Philippine National Police- Integrity Monitoring and Enforcement Group (PNP-IMEG) last July 31 for alleged robbery-extortion in Zamboanga City.

Police Brigadier General Ronal Lee, IMEG Director, said the suspect was Police Staff Sergeant Roberto Francisco who is presently assigned at Police Station 10 of Zamboanga City Police Office.

“PSSg Francisco has been subject for several complaints on his extortion activities targeting mostly habal-habal (motorcycle) drivers as well as those individuals who do not have quarantine pass,” Lee said.

The police official said Francisco was arrested around 2:30pm at Sitio Agrarian in Barangay Labuan, Zamboanga in an entrapment operation.

The operation stemmed from the complaint of a habal-habal driver who claimed that Francisco was extorting money from him in exchange for the release of his impounded motorcycle.

His motorcycle was impounded last March 29 but no citation ticket was issued and was not also officially recorded on the blotter book.

Lee said the traffic cop initially demanded two fighting cocks in exchange for the release but the complainant having no available fighting cocks, the suspect lowered the demand to 3,000.

"On July 30, the suspect lowered the demand to 1,500 pesos, hence, the operatives hatched the entrapment operation which resulted in his arrest" he added.

The suspect is now detained at Police Station 10 and IMEG will file criminal and administrative charges against him. Ella Dionisio/DMS