Man disguised as Visayas Electric official arrested

CEBU, Philippines — The National Bureau of Investigation in Central Visayas (NBI-7) has filed charges against a 48-year-old man arrested for allegedly extorting money by impersonating a Visayan Electric Company (VECO) official during an entrapment operation on B. Rodriguez Street, Barangay Sambag 2, Cebu City.

The suspect was identified as Lawrence Soriano Torrefiel, or alias “Jun Pepito”, a resident of sitio Angelous, Barangay Sambag 1, Cebu City. He was previously arrested by the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group 7 during an entrapment in Barangay Subangdaku, Mandaue City on December 19 for the same offense, according to reports.

On April 28, Torrefiel was charged with violations against Republic Act 7832, also known as the Anti-Electricity and Electric Transmission Lines/Materials Pilferage Act of 1994, following his apprehension last week.

Based on reports from the NBI-7, he was accused of extortion of money from VECO customers in exchange for tampering with their electric meters.

The agency said the act involves manipulation to under-record actual power usage at the same time defrauding the electric company of payment for the consumed electricity.

During the entrapment operation on April 22, Torrefiel was caught in the act tampering with a VECO meter seal and receiving P10,000 from the poseur-consumer.

When he was arrested, operatives discovered that the suspect was wearing a VECO official jacket to intentionally misrepresent himself as an employee of the electric company.

After Torrefiel’s arrest, NBI-7 said that he spontaneously admitted that he was working for a certain Marquin Gapud.

He also claimed that he was only ordered by Gapud, whom the agency believes to be the alleged mastermind behind the scheme.

Due to this, NBI-7 operatives accompanied the suspect to the Verano Compound in Barangay Guadalupe, Cebu City where Gapud resides.

When Torrefiel approached Gapud’s house, the latter saw the former along with the trailing operatives, prompting him to flee alongside his companion identified as Yancy Cabanillas Zapanta.

The operatives said they saw the two allegedly using illegal drugs, particularly suspected shabu.

NBI-7 said that Gapud was able to evade arrest, while Zapanta was successfully arrested by the responding authorities along with one pack of suspected shabu of undetermined weight and amount and several pieces of drug paraphernalia.

Subsequently, Zapanta, who authorities said is a co-conspirator of Torrefiel, was also subjected to inquest proceedings on April 28 for violations against RA 7832 on top of the additional case under RA 9165 in relation to illegal drugs.

As of this writing, the NBI-7 is still conducting an investigation and hot-pursuit operation against Gapud, who remains at large. –MRM (CEBU NEWS)