ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / Aug. 23, 2010) – Muslim traders selling second-hand cell phones in Zamboanga City in the southern Philippines have accused local members of the police elite SWAT team of extortion.
They said the SWAT team seized their phones after they failed to pay seven thousand pesos the policemen were demanding from them every week. “They raided our places and seized all our phones and this came after we failed to pay seven thousand pesos they were asking from us,” one trader told TV 11, a local television station.
Another trader also showed text messages purportedly from one of the officers who warned that police would raid their place if they fail to pay up. “We are seeking help from the government to stop these nefarious activities. We are poor, we want justice,” he said.
There was no immediate statement from the authorities on the allegations, but unscrupulous policemen had been accused in the past of protecting illegal gambling in Zamboanga City. (Mindanao Examiner)
Monday, August 23, 2010
Muslim traders accuse cops of extortion in Zamboanga City
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This case of "extortion" by the police is NOT unusual. That's why most entered the police force because it's easy money. I am not talking only that case in Zamboanga City. Say for example, in Manila, a lot of illegal activities such as forgery of documents ply their trade in C. M. Recto (and many of them) because they are protected by the police officers. They pay 100 pesos each day. So imagine their number and amount involved here. A friend of mind told me he interviewed one of professinal forgers and that's what this guy said. Why this is happening for a long time? Ask the police! Will Pres. Aquino do something here! Of course he will, if government is serious in cleaning up the police establishment. How about the illegal vendors? Who's protecting them? This should be revenue for the local government.
The problem is we have too many governments, the real one, those who are suppose to be doing the work of the government and the unreal on who are against the government. For traders esp. the illegal one, they have too many to pay. But that is the price of doing it illegally. If legal, they slightly on the same boat, but not as much for illegal activities.
We have to transform our society so that we develop as a respected nation! We must get rid of those in public service who are burden to the Filipino people!
There are a lot of good police officers, the few tarnished the image of the service.
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