CITY OF SAN FERNANDO — Police officers of this Pampanga capital were commended on Monday for rejecting a P2.5-million bribe offered by three foreigners caught skimming cash from an automated teller machine (ATM) last month.
Romanian national Petro Uveges allegedly offered the bribe to Chief Insp. Phillip John Pineda, who heads the police’s Compact 3 station, according to Supt. Roland Agohob, city police chief.
Uveges, Nicaraguan Radu Minodor Sandor and Italian Marcu Bogdan were caught skimming an ATM outside a Bank of the Philippine Islands Family Savings in San Agustin village on July 24.
“We immediately rejected the offer,” Agohob said.
Agohob said he called his boss, Senior Supt. Joel Consulta, “at once.”
Uveges, he said, wanted the police to take him and the two other skimming suspects to Angeles City where money was supposed to exchange hands. Uveges supposedly relayed the offer through a bank guard.
On Monday, Mayor Edwin Santiago, Vice Mayor Jimmy Lazatin and city councilors awarded certificates of recognition to Agohob, Pineda, Chief Insp. Christopher Guste, Senior Insp. Norlito Calderon, SPO1 Marlon Nerona, SPO1 Ernesto Mangune, PO3 Dennis Marana, PO3 Edwin Abad, PO3 Jerome Flores, PO2 Rethmel Santos, PO2 Rio Basilio, PO2 Jeremy Agustin, PO2 Marlon Miranda, PO2 Mark Zeson de la Torre, PO2 Rene Roy Danason, PO2 Jerimy Bargamento, PO2 Philip Arconado, PO2 Lloyd Elefante, PO1 Zabdiel Corpuz, PO1 Ezecquel Manlapaz, PO1 Redmar Santos, PO1 Joel Asuncion, PO1 Rusty Manlapaz, PO1 Alvin Masbang, PO1 Josefino Joaquin Jr., PO1 Allan Eugenio, PO1 Arsenio Aquino, PO1 Levy Almadin, PO1 Andres Gumitang, PO1 Jayson Jan Fronda, PO1 Rhuel Salamangca and PO1 Lina Mabborang.
The three foreigners remain detained at the city jail as they await preliminary hearings for violating the Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012 (Republic Act No. 10175) and the Access Devices Regulation Act of 1998 (RA 8484).
Agohob said no bribery case was filed because the act was not consummated. —Tonette Orejas