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Thursday, March 28, 2024

MPD: No proof of extortion vs U-Belt cop chief

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The Manila Police District on Wednesday said it has not found any evidence linking one of its ranking officers to the alleged extortion of vendors at the University Belt.

“So far, there’s no evidence, it’s all hearsay, not directly implicating the police,” MPD director Chief Supt. Joel Coronel said.

Chief Insp. Ramon Nazario, commander of Police Community Precinct (PCP) U-Belt, together with Kagawad Gregorio Bernardo of Barangay 409 Zone 42 and a certain Raymund Baga, were arrested on July 7 by the PNP’s Counter Intelligence Task Force based on an extortion complaint filed by a group of vendors in the area.

The vendors claimed Bernardo, in cahoots with Nazario and some of his men, have been collecting weekly payoffs from them.

Coronel said he will see to it the allegation against Nazario is thoroughly investigated, since it has implications on the city government‘s ongoing campaign against illegal vendors.

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Upon Nazario’s arrest, Coronel said he immediately ordered the administrative relief of the police officer to preclude any accusation of whitewash.

He said they are still waiting for the complaining vendors to finalize their formal complaints.

“He [Nazario] will be subjected to administrative and criminal investigation, and if he is cleared and the case against him will be dropped, the complaint will be withdrawn, then we will put him back,” Coronel assured.

“But if there is prima facie evidence that he is involved in the alleged extortion, we will institute summary dismissal proceedings against him,” he added.

Citywide road clearing operations had been conducted specifically to protect legitimate vendors from these protection syndicates and unscrupulous individuals, Coronel noted.

Since June last year, the city government’s road and sidewalk clearing operations were intensified, driving away more than 3,500 illegal vendors and removing countless road obstructions and illegal structures.

Clearing operations have been conducted in Divisoria, Blumentritt, Quiapo, Binondo, Sta. Cruz,  R-10, and Pedro Gil, among others, and major roads leading to and from the Port of Manila to clear up precious road spaces that have been occupied by illegal vendors and other obstructions.

Mayor Joseph Estrada has ordered an exhaustive investigation into the reported extortion racket at the U-Belt area.

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