Bogus cop in vice mayor’s extortion nabbed

MANILA, Philippines — A man posing as a police colonel and six others were apprehended in Quezon City on Wednesday after they allegedly tried to extort money from a vice mayor.

Joaquin Flores, a former patrolman, and his cohorts Domingo Corpuz, Renz Manago, Elton Lopez, Gabriel Momjuan, Armando Silao and Ocito del Monte were arrested during an entrapment operation launched by members of the PNP anti-scalawag unit Integrity Monitoring and Enforcement Group in Barangay Teachers Village.

The operation stemmed from the complaint of Talisay, Batangas Vice Mayor Charlie Natanauan.

Natanauan said Flores, who introduced himself as a police colonel, allegedly demanded P380,000 in exchange for the immediate release of a resolution on his graft case before the Office of the Ombudsman.

Natanauan said he verified if he has a pending case before the ombudsman. When he found out that there is no complaint against him, the vice mayor sought police assistance.

Police said the suspects were nabbed at a coffee shop along Maginhawa street after they received P302,000 in marked money from Natanauan.

The suspects also yielded a .45-caliber handgun, a .40 Glock pistol, assorted cell phones, two radios and five identification cards.

The suspects are being held at the IMEG headquarters at Camp Crame on charges of swindling and illegal possession of firearms.

Police said they would file a separate complaint against Flores for usurpation of authority.