Mulcting cop arrested

A traffic policeman assigned at Camp Crame fell in an entrapment after trying to squeeze a bottle of Fundador brandy, and later P500 in cash, from an official of a tricycle association the other day in Caloocan City.

Superintendent Dionicio Borromeo, chief of the intelligence and investigation division, identified the arrested suspect as PO2 Allan Estrada, 37, of Second Avenue Grace Park, Caloocan City and detailed at the Traffic Management Group (TMG) at Camp Crame.

Police filed charges of robbery-extortion with the office of Prosecutor Oscar Yu of the Caloocan City Prosecutor’s Office who recommended P100,000 bail for his temporary liberty.

Investigation disclosed the suspect was arrested at the terminal of the Fourth Avenue Tricycle Operators and Drivers Association (Fatoda) at the corner of Fourth and Rizal Avenue Extension at about 3:20 p.m. Thursday while receiving the marked P500 bill from Romeo Paulino, Fatoda president.

Prior to the incident, Borromeo said that according to Paulino, Estrada allegedly went to the tricycle terminal in the morning asking for a bottle of Fundador brandy. If there was no bottle available, then its equivalent in cash would be fine, he said. – Jerry Botial