NPA commander nabbed for P1-million extort try

MANILA, Philippines - A man claiming to be a commander of the communist New People’s Army (NPA) in Nueva Ecija and his companion were arrested Thursday by agents of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) in Quezon City for allegedly extorting P1 million from the owner of a bus spare parts store.

CIDG chief Director Raul Castañeda said suspects Joel Cruz, 48, of Barangay Concepcion, Malabon City and Hilario Cajigal, 54, of Lucena City in Quezon province yielded the marked money his men prepared for the entrapment operation.

Castañeda said Cruz identified himself as an NPA commander operating in Nueva Ecija and Cajigal as one of his underlings.

Businessman Teofilo Cayco appeared before Senior Superintendent Ericson Velasquez, head of the CIDG’s Criminal Investigation and Detection Division (CIDD), last April 22 to file a formal complaint against Cruz and Cajigal.

Cayco, who owns vehicle spare parts stores in Malabon City, Mandaue City in Cebu and General Santos City, claimed the suspects, introducing themselves as NPA members, demanded P5 million in “revolutionary taxes” from him.

Cayco showed Velasquez a letter dated March 27 purportedly coming from a certain Ka Meliton Agrava, National Secretary of the NPA, demanding P5 million.

In the letter, Cayco was warned not to ask the help of the police or the military or else his life and business will be in danger. He said the suspects enumerated the actions the NPA has taken against Victory Liner, Globe Telecom and other business establishments.

Last April 14, another demand letter was forwarded to Cayco’s main office in Manila.

Cayco said he received a telephone call from a man claiming to be Cruz and he managed to negotiate the amount down to P1 million.

Acting on Cayco’s complaint, Velasquez formed a team headed by Chief Inspector Bienvenido Reydado, who immediately coordinated with the Intelligence Service of the Armed Forces of the Philippines and set up an entrapment operation against the NPA rebels.

Cayco, accompanied by a CIDG operative friend, PO2 Joseph Sanico, proceeded to a shopping mall in Quezon City at about 11 a.m. Thursday, occupied separate tables, and waited for instructions from the suspects.

After nearly two hours of waiting, Cayco received a text message instructing him to transfer to another shopping mall along EDSA.

Cajigal then approached Cayco and after a short conversation, Sanico handed him a red paper bag containing the marked money. At a prearranged signal, Reydado and his men pounced on Cajigal, who did not resist arrest.

During tactical interrogation, Cajigal admitted that two of his companions were waiting for him in another mall. Minutes later, his cell phone rang and the caller ordered him to bring the money to him.

Reydado said Cruz was arrested after he received the paper bag containing the money from Cajigal.

Cruz’s companion, who the NPA commander identified as Dennis Roben Lopez, escaped.

Velasquez is preparing extortion charges against Cruz and Cajigal before the Quezon City prosecutor’s office.

The two suspects are currently detained in the CIDG headquarters at Camp Crame.