Fake NBI agent falls

MANILA, Philippines — A man was arrested for posing as a National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) agent last week, an official said yesterday.

The NBI-Special Action Unit arrested Charlestone Canales in a sting at the parking lot of a bank in Quezon City, according to NBI officer-in-charge Eric Distor.

Canales was charged with usurpation of authority, robbery-extortion and violation of the Anti-Red Tape Act of 2007 before the Quezon City prosecutor’s office.

The complainant told the NBI a friend introduced them to Canales when they had a legal problem with the seller of a dump truck they had purchased. Canales reportedly said he would help them but asked for P200,000 as “mobilization fee.”

Marked money, an NBI badge, a jacket and a face mask bearing the NBI logo, a cell phone and a holster were recovered from Canales.

The NBI’s personnel division issued a certification that Canales is not in the roster of the bureau’s employees.