A Friend Victimized by the Highway Patrol Group

A Friend Victimized by the Highway Patrol Group

As I was settled on my sofa reading the Philippine Star’s editorial over a cup of coffee this morning, I was shocked to read about my friend Francis Abraham in Cito Beltran’s April 11, 2011 CTALK column entitled “A prior victim writes about HPG”.

Francis, a professional advertising photographer, has been a friend for the past 37 years ever since our days in the Ateneo de Manila Grade School Kalatog Pukpok rondalla club. We saw each other spasmodically over the decades but it wasn’t only until 2006 that we started bonding again in various bars and cafes in Greenhills, Metrowalk, and at Café Ysabel with Henry Palacios, Randy Cepeda, and Owen Carsi-Cruz. By that time, Francis was already speeding around in a BMW motorcycle. Proof of his success as a lifestyle photographer. Somehow, I never expected that Francis would be victimized by the same HPG that harassed Arnel Ignacio last week. So with the indulgence of Cito Beltran and Francis Abraham, I’m sharing Francis’ edited letter to amplify the public’s growing peace and order concern. I hope that President Aquino and the attendant officials would take note of the matter so that it may be addressed with alacrity:

I was a victim of extortion by the Highway Patrol Group

By Francis Abraham

The incident happened early morning, around 8 am to 10am, January 18, 2011 at the Petron gas station along c5 .I am a photographer and I had a shoot to do involving client’s from BPI and Petron as well as people from the advertising agency.

My motorcycle was parked in front of the Chowking outlet at the said station as we were having breakfast there. After breakfast, a patrolman of the HPG approached and asked if I owned the BMW motorcycle, to which I answered yes. He proceeded to tell me that I had a problem since the vehicle was not registered. I admitted to the violation that the vehicles registration had not been updated and he asked me to show him my license and registration papers.

I produced the license but not the registration papers since I had left the papers at home. The patrolman said that they had to impound the vehicle for investigation, to which I agreed. He said I had to go with them. I asked if I could follow them to Camp Crame after my shoot at about 1pm since I had to do the shoot first. The patrolman said he would ask his companions.

(I wonder to myself even until now, if it is legal to impound a vehicle that is parked and not in the act of being driven.)

After a few minutes, another patrolman by the name of _ONO, approached me and told me that he was getting my vehicle and asked me to ride the patrol car so we could proceed to Camp Crame. I begged him to just take my vehicle and license and I would follow him to Crame right after my shoot.

“Sir”, I said, “maawa naman po kayo sa akin, pag inaresto nyo ako ngayon, sisirain nyo ang career ko. Hindi matutuloy ang shooting na ito. Pwede akong ma “ban” sa Industriya. Paano na lang ang pamilya ko?” Patrolman _ONO seemed to feed and take advantage of my weakness and told me to give him the keys and my helmet so that his companion could drive the motorcycle with my helmet on, and I would ride in the patrol car.

At this point I asked him “Sir, pwede ho bang mapagusapan po natin ito para naman makashoot man lang ako at pagkatapos sasama ako sa inyo. Then _ONO proceeded to give me the litany of charges including carnapping, even mentioning a Republic Act 6359, driving without the proper papers and other charges. He then said that all these charges would cost me P30,000, and of that “Ang commission namin dun sa thirty thousand ay 15,000. Legal yun. At maganda pa sa report ko.

Kaya mo bang bayaran yung thirty? Ha?”, he said in a very arrogant manner. I answered I could not afford thirty thousand but I could only afford five thousand. Then he sarcastically laughed and said while pulling out his wallet, “Gusto mo, bayaran kita ng P5,000, maski P10,000 bibigyan kita pero iimpound ko yung motor mo at sumama ka sa akin sa Crame.”

At this point, much to my not wanting to, I called up a former high school classmate at Crame who is currently a senior superintendent, he advised me to have them impound the vehicle, anyway I will be able to produce the papers after.

The patrolman, very irritated, asked who I spoke with and I said It was a classmate at Crame. He then said, “Alam mo, dalawa ang klase ng tawag, yung nakasasama at yung nakabubuti. Yung ginawa mo, nakasasama. Kaya, tutuluyan ka na namin. Halika na sumama ka na.”

I called up my classmate again and passed the phone to _ONO. He spoke to him, and was saying “Yes sir, alam mo naman sir na boss namin kayo. Ok sir. Then he turned off the phone” At this point, I thought he would at the very least take my motorcycle and license and let me follow after my shoot.

Things got worst after that. He said “Sinabi ko na sa iyo na huwag kang tumawag eh. Tuluyang mapapasama ka sa tawag mo eh. Ilabas mo na yung P15,000 o sumama ka sa amin ngayon! At this point I had to agree to the extortion. He then said “Di pa tayo tapos, Ipaaalam ko muna sa team leader namin.”

_ONO then leaves and comes back with his “Team Leader”. He introduces himself as Levy. _ONO says to Levy, “Sabi ko sir sa kanya, yung 50 %, P15,000. Ok na yun.” Wanting to end this harassment, I said, “Sir Levy, halika na sir, don ko na lang iaabot malapit sa banyo yung pera.” We proceeded to the comfort room area and I handed him P10,000. He asked how much it was and I said P10,000. Then he said in a kind voice, “Sana di naman ito makarating sa itaas, kasi alam mo, paretire na ako.”

I assured him I would not tell anyone. I then said, “Sir, ibigay mo naman sa akin yung number nyo, para pag nahuli ako on the way to LTO, kausapin nyo naman.” He gave me his cell phone number which I saved on my phone. I still have his cell number: 09154667479.

They left and I continued on with my shoot. I had the motorcycle registered that same afternoon.

April 5, 2011

Recently, I spoke with Arnel Ignacio and described what “Ono” and “Levy “and their other companion looked like. He said that my description was accurate and he was amazed that what had happened to me was the same as what happened to him.

In the meantime, Edu Manzano had arranged for me to talk to his lawyer friend, Atty. Meneses, whom he had asked to handle the case for Arnel. I had intimated to him that I planned to see PSS Deputy Director Danilo Alcoriza. Atty. Meneses and his associate, Atty. Molina accompanied me. I related what had happened to PSS Alcoriza. He called his subordinate to accompany us downstairs to identify the cops involved.

We went downstairs and while we waited, a policeman in the room engaged us in small talk about what motorcycle I was riding, how fast it goes, etc. He asked me what had happened. I told him that I had a complaint against some cops. I said it happened around Jan 18, to which he retorted, “Bakit hindi ka nagreklamo noon pa? Alam mo, hindi namin pinapalampas ang mga ganyan dito.

In my mind, I said to myself, “Eh di ko nga makuha ang mga pangalan sa inyo eh, dahil ayaw nyo ibigay tapos gusto nyo, magreklamo pa ako?.” Then he asked me why they had accosted me. I said that my motorcyle’s registration was not renewed. To which he retorted, “Eh di wala ka palang rehistro’ Di na nakarehistro ang motor mo.” To which I replied, that it is a registered vehicle but the registration has expired.” Then he said “Wala ngang rehistro dahil expired, Parang narinig ko na yang kaso mo. Alam mo kasi pag matagal nang nagexpire ang rehistro, talagang maghihinala ang pulis kung bakit di mo nireregister.”

The conversation with the office cop lead me to think that although the intentions of HPG director Chief Superintendent Leonardo Espina and his deputy Senior Superintendent Danilo Alcoriza, are genuine in ridding the force of dirty rotten cops, many of those below them are still rotten. I believe, through this experience, that it would be difficult to complain and get justice from the HPG. I must get it elsewhere, as suggested by Atty. Meneses.

- Francis Abraham