Anti-scalawag operatives of the Philippine National Police (PNP) have shot and wounded a police corporal who allegedly extorted P150,000 from a woman in exchange for the release of a car seized during an anti-drugs operation in Pampanga.
Police Corporal Joeton Samson is now in stable condition but was placed in police custody following a shootout with operatives of the Integrity Monitoring and Enforcement Group early Tuesday morning in Barangay Maimpis in San Fernando City.
PNP spokesman Col. Bernard Banac said the operation against Samson stemmed from a complaint of a woman who claimed that the policeman was demanding R150,000 for the release of her car.
The car was seized during an alleged anti-drugs operations in Mabalacat in Pampanga.
IMEG operatives then mapped out an entrapment and was about to announce the arrest when Samson fled using his car.
The cops then shot the tires of Samson car to prevent him from escaping and it was then that the policeman allegedly shot it out with IMEG operatives.
“Eventually, the suspect was cornered but instead of surrendering, he immediately fired his firearm toward the operatives prompting them to return fire hitting the suspect on his left shoulder,” said Banac.
“First aid was applied by the arresting elements before he was rushed by City Risk Reduction Management Unit of San Fernando City at Jose Lingad Memorial Hospital and was declared safe and stable by the attending physician,” he added.
Recovered from Samson were the R150,000 boodle money and a handgun.
Based on the background check, Samson is assigned at the Mabalacat City Police Station and further detailed as a jailer at Pampanga Provincial Police Office.
More than 100 policemen were either killed or arrested by IMEG, formerly Counter-Intelligence Task Force, most of the cases are extortion from drugs suspects. (Aaron Recuenco)
