On Friday, a member of the Philippine National Police (PNP) Special Action Force (SAF) and four others were arrested in Barangay Tambo, Parañaque City for grave coercion.
According to the report, the incident transpired in the morning of July 10 at the Royal Peak Plaza in Parañaque City, when the victim returned to his former company. While inside the company, the suspects demanded he pay a sum of Php800,000 and took his cellphone, in exchange for his passport and liberty.
Officers identified the victim to be a 25-year-old male; a Malaysian national residing in the same area. Authorities believe that the victim was confined and strangled by the suspects.
According to the victim's live-in partner, she was told by her boyfriend to bring the cellphones and computer issued by the company, but was prohibited from entering, after arriving at the said place. This prompted her to immedately report the incident to the police.
After the suspects' arrrest, investigators conducted an in-depth background check and identified them as two Chinese nationals, one Vietnamese national, and two Filipinos; with one being a PNP-SAF member.
The identified PNP-SAF member is a Police Senior Master Sergeant (PSMS) assigned at the 3rd Special Action Battalion at Camp Bagong Diwa, Taguig City. Police commented on the possibility that the active member is moonlighting.
Moreover, the complainants were unable to attend the investigation, citing that the last time they were seen was when they asked police officers for permission to eat outside before the scheduled investigation began.
A prelimiary investigation would be conducted to know the reason behind the suspects' motive.
