Makati precinct official nabbed for extortion

MANILA, Philippines — The deputy commander of a police precinct in Makati City was arrested yesterday over allegations of  extorting money from habal-habal drivers.

Personnel from the police Counter-Intelligence Task Force (CITF) arrested Senior Police Officer 2 Danilo Paghubasan, deputy chief of Police Community Precinct 9, in an entrapment operation in Barangay Ususan, Taguig City at around 5:45 a.m.

The 54-year-old Paghubasan was caught after he accepted P15,000 in cash from a habal-habal driver.

CITF commander Senior Superintendent Romeo Caramat Jr. said the suspect has been extorting money from drivers in exchange for allowing them to pick up passengers at an illegal terminal.

The operation was a result of a two-week surveillance stemming from the complaint of one of the drivers who apparently had enough of Paghubasan’s exorbitant fees.

“The arrested police non-commissioned officer is demanding P15,000 from him as membership fee,” Caramat said in a text message.

Aside from the membership fee, Paghubasan also collected P150 a day from over 40 drivers, threatening them with apprehension by his cohorts at a police precinct in Taguig.

“He has been doing it for several years,” said Caramat said.

Paghubasan is facing charges of graft and robbery extortion.

Director Guillermo Eleazar, National Capital Region Police Office chief, said Pag­hubasan was relieved from the Makati police and reassigned to the District Personnel Holding and Accounting Section of the Southern Police District.