Syndicates employ minors in extortion

ANGELES CITY, Pampanga: The chief of the Pampanga Crime Investigation and Detection Unit (CIDU) disclosed last week that syndicates proliferating in the city are reportedly using minors to extort money from foreigners.

In his speech during the directors’ meeting of Hotel and Restaurants of Pampanga, Inc. (HARP), Supt. Florendo Saligao also revealed that some policemen “are oftentimes in cahoots with syndicates and share in the proceeds of the settlement.”

HARP President Noli Reyes of the Montevista Resort Villas invited Saligao to speak on several concerns of the association on security and protection against syndicates and other lawless elements.

Saligao warned HARP officers to be vigilant saying that they should disallow persons “tagging along children and minors inside hotel rooms without proper identification on their blood relationship.”

“Minors are being exposed to sex trade and being abused by pedophiles, drug syndicates and those into cybersex trade,” he said.

He noted that syndicates into cybersex business are now using hotel rooms for their operations. He also received reports that they transfer from one hotel to another to prevent detection.

Saligao said “the modus operandi of syndicates is that a couple will post as parents of a minor and will file a complaint in the police station against a foreigner.”
Out of fear of being accused or charged, the foreigner would be compelled to settle the case (through payment) with the alleged “parents” for the dismissal of the complaint.

Saligao said he already submitted a report to his superiors of a case involving some policemen caught in a hotel video surveillance camera. They are reportedly involved in extorting money from foreigners using minors.

The CIDU Chief said he is also expecting victims (mostly foreigners), who already left the country, to come back and testify against those involved in extortion activities.
He stressed “the necessity of installing surveillance cameras in business establishments to monitor several unlawful activities and to identify suspicious looking persons.”

“The cameras cannot lie and those involved could easily be identified”, he said.

He also vowed to pursue his crusade of tracking down syndicates involved in various illegal activities like prostitution and illegal drugs. “I would not mind who would be involved and charged.”

Saligao also called on his colleagues “to be true to their sworn duty to protect the people and should not engage in unlawful acts just to [illegally] benefit from it, to the prejudice of innocent persons.”

HARP is an association of known hotels and restaurants in Pampanga. It boasts of 38 affiliated hotels and restaurants here. Central Luzon Tourism Director Ronnie Tiotuico also attended the meeting. –Joey Aguilar, The Manila Times