NBI collars cop in alleged extort try

CEBU – The National Bureau of Investigation arrested a member of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG), for allegedly extorting more than P100,000 from a man they had caught and charged with illegal possession of firearms.

The NBI-7 agents arrested SPO4 Reynaldo Matillano while in the act of receiving the P15,000 marked money during an entrapment inside Jollibee-Makro at the Mandaue Reclamation Area about 2:30 p.m. yesterday.

The entrapment stemmed from a complaint filed by Ronnie Hernani, 35, of Pulpogan, Consolacion that he had to cough up P115,000 to settle the case that the CIDG has filed against him for illegal possession of firearms.

Hernani said that on March 9 at around 1:30 p.m., he was arrested by the group of Matillano at the Garden Bloom Acres Subdivision in Pitogo, Consolacion for possession of a .45 caliber pistol.

Hernani said that CIDG operatives allegedly led by Inspector Elmer Balaba together with Matillano, a certain Peria, Tumacay and two unidentified CIDG personnel, forcibly opened his car and took his firearm.

He said that the firearm’s license was still being processed through the amnesty program of the government.

According to Hernani, he was brought by the CIDG operatives to the house of Matillano in the same subdivision where he was allegedly asked to pay P100,000 to avoid facing charges.

The complainant said that because he was not able to produce the amount he was brought to the CIDG office where he was detained until March 12.

While in detention, Hernani said, a certain police officer Peria kept on demanding P100,000 from him until he was able to haggle for P70,000.

Hernani said that he paid the P70,000 last March 10 at about 11 a.m. inside the CIDG headquarters.

After receiving his payment, police officers Peria, Tumacay and Matillano brought him to the Provincial Prosecutor’s Office for the filing of the case.

Hernani said he was advised to post bail where he obliged and paid P80,000 thru a surety bond.

On March 11, while at the prosecutor’s office, Matillano allegedly demanded P20,000 from him as payment for the prosecutor. Since he only had P15,000 during that time, the remaining P5,000 was paid the following day, March 12.

Even if his release order was issued by Regional Trial Court Judge Ramon Codilla on March 11, Hernani was released on March 12.

On the following day after his release, Balaba reportedly called him and offered a remedy to have his case dismissed.

Hernani said he was asked to go to the CIDG office to sign a form for the renewal of his firearms license.

He said that he was again asked to pay P15,000 for the processing of his application even if the firearm license would only cost P5,000. On top of the P15,000 he was told to pay P50,000 for the attorney’s fee of lawyer Pedro Leslie Salva, whom Matillano allegedly contacted to assist him in his case. – With Edwin Ian Melencio/ Freeman News Service