4 name-dropping'extortionists' fall

CEBU, Philippines - A man who had been dropping the names of a partylist congressman and a Cebuano Cabinet member was arrested by CIDG agents in Cebu City last Thursday after he allegedly tried to extort money from a resort on the world-famous island of Malapascua.

Arlene Kuhtmann, owner of the Sunsplash Beach Resort, complained to the CIDG that John Mark Villanueva and his three companions — Robert Duarte and his wife Mary Ann, and Maricel Duarte, a cousin of Robert, demanded P100,000 from her in exchange for going easy on her alleged tax deficiencies.

Villanueva had claimed he was a relative of CEBAC partylist Rep. Joel Villanueva and mentioned the name of Tourism Secretary Ace Durano in his alleged extort try against Kuhtmann.

According to Kuhtmann, the money demanded by Villanueva was supposed to be given to Rep. Villanueva, Sec. Durano, as well as some ranking officials of the BIR in Region 7 so that these personalities will not go after her resort for its tax deficiencies.

But Kuhtmann said she had no tax deficiencies, so she began to suspect that she was being set up for an extortion, especially after noting how Villanueva and his companions had been behaving.

In her complaint, Kuhtmann said Villanueva checked into the resort on February 26, claiming to be a relative of Rep. Villanueva and a member of his advance party. He did not make any advance payment, saying the bill will be paid as soon as the congressman’s main party arrives.

Two days later, Villanueva left the resort without notifying the management.

Then last Monday, Mary Ann Duarte showed up at the resort and demanded to retrieve the personal belongings of Villanueva, explaining that his unpaid bills will be settled on March 6.

But in the morning of Thursday, March 5, Villanueva called up the resort and got to talk to Jackielou Tapion, the operations manager. He told Tapion that Rep. Villanueva wanted to talk to Kuhtmann concerning some alleged deficiencies at the resort.

Kuhtmann later got in touch with Villanueva and was told that her resort would be closed unless she came across with P100,000 which he said would be given to Rep. Villanueva, Sec. Durano, and certain BIR officials.

Kuhtmann sought advice from Senior Superintendent Vicente Loot of the PNP regional office who hails from Daanbantayan and was told to coordinate with the CIDG.

A plan to trap the suspects was immediately hatched.

Kuhtmann got in touch with Villanueva, pretending to agree to the payment. A meeting was arranged at a popular high-end coffeeshop at a mall. Tapion was to do the payoff using marked money. CIDG agents led by Chief Inspector Rogarth Campo posted themselves nearby, watching for Tapion to give a pre-arranged signal.

When Villanueva showed up to collect, Tapion handed him the bundle of money, at the same time giving the signal.

The CIDG agents pounced but Villanueva tried to resist arrest. In the ensuing scuffle, SPO2 Delfin Bontuyan was slightly injured, prompting the others to apply “reasonable force” to subdue the suspect.

While under detention, Villanueva said the three Duartes were his relatives but that they were innocent and did not know what was happening. He said he himself was merely under instructions to do what he did by a Japanese national whose name he could not remember.

He also said he merely dropped the names of Rep. Villanueva and Sec. Durano as part of the operation. — /JST (THE FREEMAN)