Napolcom exec nabbed in extortion case

ZAMBOANGA CITY—The regional director of the National Police Commission (Napolcom) in Western Mindanao was arrested inside an establishment in Barangay Sta. Maria here for extortion on Friday.

Senior Supt. Angelito Casimiro, the city police director, said an entrapment operation led to the arrest of lawyer Macapado Guro, Napolcom chief in the region.

Guro, Casimiro said, was arrested while receiving cash from two policemen, who were assigned to Isabela City.

Casimiro said following the arrest, Guro was brought to the PNP crime laboratory for ultraviolet powder tests to confirm his receipt of marked money.

The two police officers, identified only as a PO2 Mariano and a PO1 Serra, face administrative charges at the Napolcom regional office for failing to attend court hearings against a murder suspect they had arrested.

It was the Regional Trial Court in Isabela City which asked Napolcom to dismiss the two police officers for failing to attend the hearings against a certain Ricardo Bentain, who is also facing an illegal gun possession charge.

Based on police records, Guro asked the two police officers to pay him P10,000 in exchange for the dismissal of the administrative case against them.

Unknown to the Napolcom director, the two police officers coordinated with the city police for an entrapment operation.

On Thursday, Serra gave P5,000 to Guro and the transaction was videotaped by Mariano, Casimiro said.

Guro accepted the money and demanded that the balance be given on Friday, he added.

As he received the balance of P5,000, policemen announced the arrest.

Guro, Casimiro said, denied the extortion charge, saying he just wanted to help the officers. Julie Alipala, Inquirer Mindanao