NBI to file extort case vs. 8 Consolacion cops

The National Bureau of Investigation is filing criminal and administrative charges against the Consolacion town police chief and seven of his men after they were accused of extorting money from a drug suspect.

NBI special investigator Arnel Pura said they would file a case tomorrow against Senior Inspector Claro Binatero, PO2 Anthony Aguisanda, PO2 Rodilo Pilapil, PO1 Julius Patac, SPO1 Ricardo Ermac, PO3 Ernesto Pepito, PO1 Dennis Malinao and PO3 Marcelo Cometa for graft before the Office of the Ombudsman Visayas.

Pura said that they initially included the policemen in the case they filed against Jerry Perez, the errand boy at the Consolacion Police Station, who was arrested during an entrapment operation last Thursday.

But Ombudsman director Edgardo Canton advised them to file separate charges against the policemen, prompting them to change the charge sheet.

According to Pura, Canton told them that the case for robbery extortion against Perez should be filed with the Provincial Prosecutor's Office while the case against the policemen should be filed before the anti-graft office.

Binatero and Aguisanda were supposed to be the subject of the entrapment operation by the NBI last Thursday on complaint filed by a certain Mary Ann Flores. However, they managed to escape from the dragnet after they pulled out from the area of operation in barangay Cansaga, Consolacion.

The NBI instead arrested Perez when he was allegedly ordered by Aguisanda to go back to the place to receive the money.

Flores claimed that the suspects demanded P10,000 from her live-in partner Ramil Godinez for the release of his motorcycle, which the police confiscated on October 7 when he was arrested for allegedly drug pushing.

Aside from the P10,000, Flores said they had paid the police P70,000 to downgrade the case to just a simple drug possession. On top of it, Flores said they gave another P120,000 for Godinez's temporary liberty because the police allegedly promised to take care of his bail.

Meanwhile, Cebu provincial police director Vicente Loot yesterday said he would order for Benatiro's relief once he reads the charge sheet of the NBI.

But Loot said that Benatiro's relief would depend on the gravity of the allegations against him because he is still giving him the benefit of the doubt.

Benatiro had denied allegations that he was extorting money from Flores, saying that he and Aguisanda were only conducting surveillance operation against illegal drug transaction in the area. - Fred P. Languido with Flor Z.Perolina