Cabanatuan City’s chief assessor arrested

The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) arrested last week the chief assessor of Cabanatuan City for allegedly extorting money from taxpayers to speed up processing of realty tax.

NBI Director Reynaldo Wycoco identified the suspect as Lorenza Esguerra, 53, of Bantog Norte, Cabanatuan, who will be charged with direct bribery.

In a report to Wycoco, Pedro Wycoco Jr., chief of the Cabanatuan District Office, said Esguerra was arrested inside her office during an entrapment operation last April 14.

The arrest stemmed from the complaint of a certain Nida Irabon that Esguerra was demanding P10,000 from her in exchange of the speedy issuance of tax declaration of her real property early this year.

Irabon told NBI agents that she already shelled out P6,000 last March but Esguerra refused to release the document unless the remaining P4,000 is paid.

Irabon sought the help of the NBI in Cabanatuan, which set up an entrapment and led to Esguerra‘s arrest.