Scribe in bribe case can't afford bail

A reporter of a monthly tabloid, who was caught extorting P100 from a mini-carnival in Pasig City last Jan. 11 was ordered by the Pasig City Regional Trial Court yesterday to post P100,000 bail for his temporary liberty.

The suspect, Rudy Bordeos, reporter of the Antipolo City-based National Puncher broke into tears when prosecutor Noel Paz recommended the filing of robbery-extortion against him with the Pasig RTC and recommended P100,000 bail.

Bordeos, of 45 Lamberto St. Villa Alfonso, Barangay Bambang, Pasig City told his arresting officer, Superintendent Melito Mabilin, head of the NCRPO Regional Intelligence and Special Operations Office (RISOO), that with his meager salary he cannot come up with the required bail.

Mabilin told The STAR they were out to get "kotong" cops after Jay Almazan, 20, a mini-carnival employee approached him for help about the rampant tong collection of policemen.

At about 10 p.m. last Jan. 11, Bordeos met with Almazan in front of a videoke bar at the corner of Raymundo and Sixto Antonio Avenues in Barangay Caniogan. Almazan handed over a P100 in marked money to Bordeos.

Mabilin's men pounced on Bordeos and were surprised to learn that he was a reporter and not a policeman. Bordeos was brought to the PNP crime laboratory where he was found positive for ultra-violet fluorescent powder with which the money was treated.

Bordeos denied extorting money from Almazan. He said he was on his way home when Almazan offered him the money.

However, prosecutor Paz gave weight to the findings of the PNP crime laboratory and recommended the filing of robbery-extortion against Bordeos. Because of his inability to post bail, Bordeos is detained at the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) at Camp Bagong Diwa in Taguig.