Man who posed as Maute Group member nabbed in Quezon

Extortion (INQUIRER FILE PHOTO)

LUCENA CITY, Quezon — Police arrested a man posing as a member of the Maute terror group after he threatened to bomb an oil mill and kill one of its officials in Tayabas City if the plant’s management refused to give him money, police said on Monday.

Senior Supt. Rhoderick Armamento, Quezon provincial police director, said operatives from Tayabas police station arrested Beda Realingo Roaring, alias “Renan Bandolon”, 53, in an entrapment operation in Pagbilao town on Sunday (Feb.26).

Police said the operations manager of the Kapco Oil Mill in Barangay Tongko, Tayabas City, on Sunday reported to the police that he received a text message on Feb. 21 demanding money in exchange for sparing the mill from a bomb attack. The mill manager said the text message contained a warning that a Mr. Ching, a company official, would be killed if the demand was not met.

The text message identified the sender as a supposed member of the Maute group, police said.

On Feb. 22, the suspect sent another text message demanding P200,000. This was followed by another message on Feb. 24 containing the reference number for a cash remittance agency where the money was to be sent.

Police traced the cash remittance branch in Pagbilao town and immediately set an entrapment operation.

Roaring was arrested at Zahra Store in Barangay Bukal after he claimed the amount past noon Sunday.

Police said Roaring was once a worker at the oil mill.  SFM