CIDG officials sacked for ‘extortion’

ANGELES CITY — Police officers assigned at the Pampanga Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) were recently sacked for alleged extortion.

Chief Superintendent Leon Nilo dela Cruz ordered the immediate relief of Chief Inspector Randy Glenn Silvio and other members of the CIDG Pampanga after foreigners and other investors here sought the help of Mayor Edgardo Pamintuan.

“I ordered their relief pending their investigation and they will all be replaced immediately,” De la Cruz told the local media.

Pamintuan said the managers of Ponytail bar were allegedly asked by CIDG men to pay P600,000 in exchange for the filing of charges for employing minors.

The mayor said he asked De la Cruz to investigate reports that the local CIDG men recently held a series of “raids” to allegedly extort bar owners.

Pamintuan recently met with City Police Chief Senior Superintendent Danny Bautista and operators of several local tourism establishments who sought their help against the CIDG cops.

Silvio, however, denied the report, saying he was just a victim of politics.

According to him, the operations conducted by his men are legitimate and based on complaints coming from relatives of minors employed in night clubs.

Silvio even dared the city officials to file charges in court if the allegations against him and his men are true.

“I just want to clear my name. I’m willing to face any charges in court. I will not sacrifice my integrity for a small amount of money,” Silvio said.

Published in the Sun.Star Pampanga newspaper on August 24, 2010.

By Reynaldo G. Navales