Man held for extortion, cybercrime

KIDAPAWAN CITY—The police’s Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) in North Cotabato arrested a man for alleged extortion and commission of cybercrime, during an entrapment operation here on Friday.

Chief Inspector Elmer Guevarra, CIDG North Cotabato chief, said Bryan Louie Humol, who works at an Internet café here, was arrested for violation of Republic Act No. 9995 or the anticybercrime law and extortion based on the complaint of a college student.

He said the student accused Humol of uploading a sex video on a Facebook account, which was edited so it would appear she was the woman on it.

The student said Humol then texted her and demanded P18,000 before the video was taken down.

When she told Humol that she could not raise the amount, Guevarra said Humol lowered the amount to P5,000, which she still rejected.

“The suspect then asked her to have sex with him. She pretended to agree. She asked our help against the suspect,” Guevarra said.

On Friday, CIDG agents waited at the lodge where the victim had agreed to meet Humol. There, they arrested the suspect and seized two mobile phones and a laptop computer from his possession.

Guevarra said Humol did not resist arrest and admitted the allegations of the college student. He said Humol is under CIDG custody and would be submitted for inquest on Monday. If found guilty, Humol could face up to six years in prison, he said.—Williamor A. Magbanua