CITOM aide charged with direct bribery

CEBU, Philippines - A City Traffic Operation Management aide has been charged with direct bribery by the Office of the Ombudsman-Visayas before the court yesterday.

Nicasio Emnace was charged after he was arrested for receiving money from a National Bureau of Investigation agent during an entrapment operation last May 22.

The NBI operation stemmed from a complaint of a certain Constancio Alforo Jr. regarding the extortion activities of Emnace in barangay Banilad.

In his affidavit, Mark Nadela, the poseur-driver of NBI, said he was driving a multicab and made an illegal left turn in Banilad when he was cited by Emnace for reckless driving.

Emnace then allegedly agreed to a compromise for a certain sum of money. Nadela handed to Emnace marked bills which the latter pocketed. It was then that the NBI team rushed to arrest the suspect.

Confiscated from the suspect was the marked money inside his pocket.

In his counter-affidavit, Emnace denied the charges, saying that he apprehended Nadela for making an illegal and reckless turn.

Emnace said that Nadela made reasons to justify his violation and offered him an amount of money.

But graft investigator Portia Pacquiao Suson said that the respondent, by accepting money from Nadela in exchange for letting the traffic violation pass, has clearly committed the offense. — Jasmin R. Uy/LPM (THE FREEMAN)