Technician nabbed for extorting P100T from brgy official

An electric meter technician was accused of extorting P100,000 from a barangay councilor in Punta Engaño, Lapu-Lapu City.

Ely Siao Sabate, 52, was arrested in an entrapment operation in a gasoline station in barangay Pusok where he was supposed to get the money from the complainant Josie Hayashi.

Hayashi told police that Sabate, a resident of A. Lopez Street in Cebu City, demanded P100,000 from her so he would not report that the barangay official’s electric meter was tampered.

Hayasi said she was in Japan in August when she had her house’s electric wirings repaired.

Hayasi said the wires leading to the electric meter were too thin that it could melt in case all appliances at home are being used.

The barangay official said the Mactan Electric Co. advised her to have the wirings fixed by a private technician.

The wirings were repaired last August.

Hayashi said when she returned home in September, someone started calling her, threatening that he would report to authorities that her electric meter was tampered.

The caller was later identified as Sabate, said police.

Hayashi said the caller claimed that he installed a “jumper” in the meter that causes an abnormal drop in consumption.

Hayashi said she ignored Sabate’s repeated demands but finally reported to the police last Sunday when the man allegedly called her and threatened that something bad will happen to her family.

Chief Insp. Conrado Manatad, chief of the Mactan police, set up an entrapment operation against the caller.

Accompanied by police, Hayashi’s staff went to a gas station to meet the caller.

Sabate was eventually arrested when he accepted P11,000 in marked money.

Sabate denied that he was behind the extortion. He said someone asked him to get the money at the gas station.

Police said charges of extortion and grave threat will be filed against Sabate.