Man held for extort try on Mangudadatu

MANILA, Philippines - A man was arrested on Friday for allegedly trying to extort money from Maguindanao Gov. Esmael “Toto” Mangudadatu in exchange for dropping “charges” against him.

Ali “Saydee” Mustafa was caught in a sting staged by the National Bureau of Investigation’s Special Task Force at a restaurant along Adriatico street in Malate, Manila on Friday.

Mangudadatu told reporters that someone – later identified as Mustafa – started sending him text messages early this month, asking for updates on the unreleased funds for various government projects in Maguindanao.

“I think he got my number from my website, I posted my number there,” he said.

On Feb. 12, Mustafa introduced himself as a member of the Task Force Crusaders Against Crimes, Illegal Drugs, Corruption and Terrorism and claimed the Office of the Solicitor General (OSG) was preparing to file graft and drug charges against him, Mangudadatu said.

He said Mustafa asked for P300,000 so the group’s lawyers would pull out the charge sheets.

Mustafa also claimed he asked Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) Gov. Mujiv Hataman and his brother, Basilan Rep. Jim Hataman, for P30 million to pull out the charge sheets filed against them, according to Mangudadatu.

He said it was the second time someone tried to extort money from him.

Mustafa told investigators his operation was legitimate and his group was deputized by the OSG “because problems of corruption and illegal drugs in ARMM are so rampant.”

NBI-STF chief Moises Tamayo said Mustafa’s group may be legitimate but could not have been sanctioned by the OSG.