A policeman was apprehended by his colleagues after he allegedly blackmailed a minor high school student into going with him in a motel in Sogod, Southern Leyte Saturday.
The suspect, PO3 Ramil Bilbao, 31, assigned at the Operations Branch of the Southern Leyte Police Provincial Office and resident of Barangay Combado, Maasin City, was collared in an entrapment operation by the PNP-Criminal Investigation and Detection Group in a motel in Barangay Tampoong at around 4 p.m.
Chief Supt. Amador Corpus, PNP-CIDG director, said the operation stemmed from the complaint of one alias “Anne,” a 16-year-old Grade 10 senior high school student, and her mother.
According to Corpus, Bilbao created a messenger account using the old logo of the PNP-CIDG and asked the victim, who happens to be his neighbor, to go with him in a motel.
The suspect allegedly threatened the victim not to tell their conversation to anyone or the nude pictures she sent to the suspect would be posted in social media and her life would be in danger, Corpus added.
However, Anne decided to seek help from her mother who turned to the PNP-CIDG for assistance. An entrapment operation was carried out which resulted in the arrest of Bilbao.
Bilbao denied the accusations that he forced the victim to go with him into the motel but Corpus said the police officer will be subjected into further investigation to determine the validity of his alibi, especially since the victim was a minor.
Operatives recovered a performance enhancement pill, three pieces of condoms, a cellular phone and a flash drive, a caliber 9mm pistol, three magazines, 39 live ammunition, the suspect’s PNP identification card, and personal belongings and IDs.
Police are preparing appropriate charges to be filed against Bilbao, including child abuse. (Martin Sadongdong)
