Cops in missing ransom mess yield to Lim, deny taking loot

(Updated 11:52 a.m.) With a shoot-to-kill order against them, five Manila policemen implicated in the missing P12-million ransom mess surrendered themselves to authorities on Tuesday to deny claims they took the money. A radio dzBB report said the five first met with Manila Mayor Alfredo Lim at the latter's office inside the Manila City Hall, before they were presented to the media. The policemen in hot water are Senior Inspector Peter Nerviza, Police Officer 3 Ernesto Peralta, Police Officer 3 Jefferson Britanico, Police Officer 3 Mike Ongpauco, and Police Officer 1 Rommel Ocampo. The officers investigated the March 6 abduction of Malaysian trader Eric Sim Chin Tong in Malabon City. The businessman was released a day after supposedly paying a P16.3-million ransom. The officers then turned over P4.2 million of the total ransom recovered. However, the arrested suspects claimed the entire sum was confiscated from them during the arrest, casting doubts on the responding policemen. "[Pero] wala raw silang pinakailamang pera... Ang sinasabi nila, 'di umano baka nagsisinungaling daw iyong isa sa mastermind," Lim told reporters. In their account, the two suspects in the abduction claimed that while they were being arrested, they saw the arresting officers distributing bundles of money among themselves. But Nerviza said otherwise: "Matagal ko pong inalagaan ang pangalan ng pamilya ko. Ito po ay alegasyon ng mga hinuli namin," he said. During a press conference after the surrender, Lim corrected that the ransom paid was P15 million and not P16.3 million. He said the five officers turned over P4.2 million, while another P200,000 was returned by the Bulacan police, leaving a total of P10.6 million - and not P12.1 million - missing. "Ang problem nasaan ngayon iyon... What needs to be determined now ay alin version ang totoo," Lim said. On Monday, Lim gave the go signal to shoot the five missing policemen if they resist arrest, saying the five could pose a danger because they were armed. "Ang nangyari 'Gone with the wind.' Nalusaw ang pera. Wala namang tsunami dito eh naagos ang pera," he said. Lim was alluding to the Hollywood film and the tsunami triggered by the killer quake that hit Japan last week. Over the weekend, members of the Manila Police District (MPD) were deployed to search for their missing colleagues, who have not reported for work since Friday last week. Lim said the officers could face charges of obstruction of justice "for interfering in the investigation." — Mark Merueñas/RSJ, GMA News