NBI agents in extort try to face sanctions

Two senior agents of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) will face administrative sanctions in connection with their arrest for alleged extortion in Manila.

An NBI official said the agents will be made to explain the circumstances behind the incident, which would be used as basis of their possible suspension or dismissal from the service.

The agents — Rodrigo Mapoy, 47, special investigator IV and Don Emmanuel Regulario, 26, special investigator III, both of the NBI-Criminal Investigation Division (CID), were arrested in an entrapment operation at the lobby of the Century Park Sheraton on Vito Cruz street, Manila.

Police said the NBI agents tried to extort P300,000 from a businessman.

Charges of robbery-extortion against Mapoy and Regulario were ordered filed with the Manila Prosecutor’s Office.

Colleagues of Mapoy and Regulario at the CID maintained that the arrested agents were supposed to be on "legitimate assignment" on the date police arrested them.

"Hindi pa namin naririnig yun, wala kaming alam sa arrest basta nasa official duty sila noon," said an agent.

Another agent said Mapoy and Regulario vehemenltly denied the accusations and insisted that they were merely set up.

"What the two were saying is that a certain businessman had invited them to dinner but they were surprised when the police effected the arrest insisting there was no money involved," said a colleague of the two arrested agents. – Cecille Suerte Felipe