For robbery extortion: 4 LTO agents to face trial

CEBU, Philippines —  Criminal charges have been filed in court against the four enforcers of the Land Transportation Office in Central Visayas who were arrested Wednesday in an entrapment operation by agents of the National Bureau of Investigation in Tagbilaran City, Bohol for alleged extortion activities.

The suspects-- Gaylord Pacaña, a resident of CF Llanes St., Tisa, Cebu City; Bernard Jamorol, of Deca Homes, Tungkil, Minglanilla, Cebu; Walter John Yncierto, of Basak-San Nicolas, Cebu City; and Jose Christian Hembra of Lower Acacia, F. Jaca St., Kinasang-an, Cebu City—were indicted by the Tagbilaran City Prosecutor’s Office for robbery extortion and violations of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act and Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees.

Lawyer Rennan Augustus Oliva, NBI-Bohol chief, said the suspects waived their rights to a preliminary investigation and opted to answer the charges directly in the court.

The four enforcers were caught in the act of receiving P10,000 allegedly as settlement from a tour operator whose vehicle’s registration paper was confiscated for alleged colorum operation.

Abraham Dante, a resident of Purok 1, Darunday St., Dao District, Tagbilaran City, sought the help of NBI after the suspects apprehended his driver, Rosendo Magan Jr., at a checkpoint near Eskaya Resort in Panglao on November 28.

The suspects confiscated Magan’s driver’s license and the registration paper of the vehicle he was driving despite having presented a franchise from the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board.

The suspects demanded P10,000 from Dante in exchange for the release of the registration paper and the driver’s license of Magan. Dante agreed to meet with the suspects last Wednesday afternoon for the payoff.

Unknown to the suspects, agents of the NBI were prepositioned in the meeting place waiting to arrest them. The entrapment operation was also made possible upon the request of LTO-7 Regional Director Victor Emmanuel Caindec.

Caindec asked the NBI to investigate the information he received through social media that the enforcers he assigned in Bohol to go after colorum vehicles were involved in extortion activities. — FPL (FREEMAN)