CITOM enforcer charged for "extortion"

CEBU, Philippines – A traffic enforcer was charged in court for direct bribery after the Office of the Ombudsman Visayas has found probable cause to indict him of the complaint for extortion filed by a taxi driver.

Graft investigator Pio Dargantes has elevated before the Regional Trial Court the direct bribery case against Christian Catoto. The anti-graft office found sufficient evidence to hold Catoto for trial for alleged extortion.

The case stemmed from a complaint filed by taxi driver Jessie Rica before the National Bureau of Investigation in August 2009. Rica sought assistance from the NBI after Catoto demanded P3,000 from him to redeem his driver's license.

According to Rica, he was apprehended for several traffic violations along Magallanes and Plaridel Streets in Cebu City on August 7, 2009. During the incident an unidentified companion of Catoto told him to give money to avoid his license from being confiscated.

Rica said he offered P50 as settlement but Catoto did not accept the amount allegedly for being too small. Catoto confiscated his license but few days after he was told to produce P3,000 to redeem it.

Rica said he was only able to produce P2,500 which Catoto agreed to accept the amount. Unknown to Catoto, Rica already coordinated with the NBI that set up his entrapment.

Catoto was eventually arrested following a brief chase after he initially got away with the drag net.

Catoto denied extorting money from Rica but could not explain why he did not turnover the confiscated license to the Land Transportation Office and why there was no temporary operator's permit issued to the complainant. (FREEMAN)