Zambo City prosecutor, lawyer face bribe raps

MANILA, Philippines -A government prosecutor and a lawyer arrested for allegedly bribing a police officer were slapped with graft charges before the Zamboanga City prosecutor’s office yesterday.

Zamboanga City deputy prosecutor Roselyn Murillo Mamon, alias Rose Mamon, and lawyer Pherham Surian Saiddi were charged for violating the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act after they allegedly offered P200,000 to Police Officer 3 Flavio Enriquez Jr.

The two were arrested on Thursday by agents of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), Presidential Anti-Organize Crime Commission (PAOCC) and the local police in an entrapment at Room 105 of the Zamboanga City Hall of Justice.

The entrapment was conducted after Enriquez sought the help of the PAOCC, which forwarded the complaint to the NBI.

Enriquez alleged the accused wanted him to skip trial so the murder case against Police Officer 2 Pon Mohammad Mansul and Margani Samla would be dismissed.

Aside from murder, reports said Mansul and Samla were facing charges for illegal possession of firearms, and illegal drugs.

Police have yet to arrest Mansul while Samla has been detained at the Zamboanga City jail.

A source said Mamon is the prosecutor assigned to the case, while Saiddi is a lawyer of Mansul and Samla.

The source said Enriquez was part of the raiding team that arrested Mansul and Samla about a year ago.

“Enriquez was offered money so some of the accused would not be identified in court,” the source privy to case said.

Mamon is the second government lawyer to be arrested this month for alleged corruption.

Two weeks ago, Assistant State Prosecutor III Diosdado Bernabe Solidum Jr. of the Department of Justice was accused of allegedly mulcting P2.5 million from the members of the Philippine Airlines Employees Association (PALEA). – With Roel Pareño