Case vs NBI "fixer" elevated to court

CEBU ­– The city prosecutor’s office yesterday elevated to court a formal case for alleged violation of the Anti-Red Tape Act of 2007 against the alleged fixer operating at the National Bureau of Investigation and whom NBI operatives arrested in an entrapment operation last week.

Fiscals charged Gerard Comilang before the Regional Trial Court for allegedly violating Section 11 in relation to section 12 of Republic Act 9485.

Comilang was arrested Thursday last week in an entrapment operation at an uptown coffee shop with the help of an NBI clearance applicant. Ronaldo Vergara had alleged Comilang demanded P500 from his victims for the processing of the NBI clearance.

Vergara said he went to the NBI office last January 9 to secure a clearance when Comilang and a certain Obet Cabezas met him at the gate and offered to facilitate his application.

Enraged by the presence of fixers, Vergara said he decided to report the questionable operation to his neighbor who happens to be a member of the NBI investigative staff. He also readily obliged to assist in the entrapment operation.

Vergara went back to the NBI office on January 14 wherein he was again met by the accused. Vergara said he paid P300 for the processing of his clearance but told Comilang he would only give the P200 upon claiming his clearance.

Vergara said he waited for one week because he was told that his name was on the “hit list”.

Finally, on January 22, Vergara and Comilang agreed to meet at an uptown coffee shop that signaled the NBI operatives to hatch the entrapment. — Fred P. Languido/JMO (THE FREEMAN)