Traffic cop falls for extortion
Agents of the National Bureau of Investigation yesterday arrested a traffic policeman for allegedly trying to extort money and forcing a woman to have a “Valentine’s date” with him in advance in exchange of sparing her boyfriend from a string of criminal charges.
The NBI operatives, led by Bernard de la Cruz, set up the entrapment against traffic policeman SPO1 Romeo Cabrera, who has been assigned to the City Traffic Operations and Management, at a fastfood outlet inside a mall where he was supposed to receive the money from his “victim”, Alma Cabahug.
The entrapment was hatched up after Cabahug complained to the NBI yesterday morning about the alleged demands of Cabrera in relation to the traffic incident involving her boyfriend Patrick Tambog somewhere in barangay Pari-an on Friday afternoon.
Cabahug said that she and Tambog figured in an accident involving the car, driven by her boyfriend and a passenger jeepney plying the Labangon route. Moments after that accident, Tambog brought her to their friend’s house first, but when he returned to the scene, he was arrested by traffic authorities because of alleged presence of illegal drugs inside his car.
Supposedly in exchange of bailing Tambog out of any liability, Cabahug alleged that Cabrera talked to her and demanded P100,000 from her. She claimed that the policeman even enumerated the charges that will be filed against Tambog if she fails, such as driving without license, failure to bring vehicle registration and illegal possession of prohibited drugs.
Cabahug said the amount was eventually lowered to P50,000 excluding their liability to the PUJ owner. She said that she tried to haggle for a lower amount but Cabrera allegedly sent her a text message instead to come to his office and discuss the amount.
At the CITOM office, Cabrera allegedly reduced the amount again to P30,000 but on condition that she will go with him on a date. He even allegedly started courting her, said Cabahug, and on Sunday, the policeman told her to deliver P10,000 first to his office.
Cabahug said she got confused so she did not oblige but went instead to a radio station for help. The station in turn referred her to the NBI which quickly set the entrapment.
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When Cabahug handed the P10,000 marked money to Cabrera, the NBI agents arrested the policeman and seized from him the money, and his .45 caliber service pistol with several magazines.
NBI regional director Medardo de Lemos said they will be filing charges for extortion against Cabrera, and that they are also studying the possibility of filing another charges for his malicious conduct towards Cabahug. — Fred P. Languido/RAE
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