2 nabbed for extort try on Singaporean

MANILA, Philippines - Two women were arrested in Makati City on Tuesday for allegedly trying to extort P30,000 from a Singaporean woman. 

Claire Quiachon, 29, a stay-in helper at a residential condominium, and Aiza Adorno, 23, were caught in a sting, Makati police chief Senior Superintendent Manuel Lukban said.

According to a police report, Hui Tin Chong, 36, a resident of Legaspi Village, sought police assistance after her nanny, Madelin Sasi, received a text message from a certain Mrs. Sanchez asking for her employer’s number. Sanchez claimed that Hui’s daughter hit her child on the head.

Hui told police that Sanchez sent her text messages saying that Sanchez’s husband has homicidal tendencies and that she would kill Hui’s daughter if the complainant does not shell out P30,000 for Sanchez’s daughter’s hospital bills.

Hui told police that Sanchez wanted her to deposit the money into a given bank account, but on Sept. 10, Sanchez instead told her to hand over the money to a woman at the lobby of the condominium where the complainant lived.

Police officers arrested Quiachon after receiving marked money from Sasi. While Quiachon was under interrogation, Adorno called Quiachon’s cell phone and instructed her to deliver the money to her in front of a Makati hotel, investigators said.

Adorno was arrested after receiving the marked money from Quiachon. Both women face threat and robbery-extortion charges with the Makati prosecutor’s office.