An overseas Filipino worker (OFW) based in Canada lost her Mitsubishi Pajero to thieves last November in Pasay City. But her ordeal did not stop there.
Ma. April Ochenta was duped into coughing up P70,000 by a rouge police officer so that investigation can start for the stolen vehicle.
And as if this was not enough, the victim was forced to give up her second vehicle to the same officer in an elaborate scheme that would make con-men look like amateurs.
Mercifully, the anti-scalawag unit of the Philippine National Police (PNP) stepped in to end the alleged extortion racket of Police Major Raul Salle, deputy chief of the Operations Management Division of the Highway Patrol Group (HPG).
Salle was arrested following an entrapment operation right inside his office in Camp Crame Wednesday afternoon, according to Integrity Monitoring and Enforcement Group (IMEG) commander Police Col. Romeo Caramat.
Based on the complaint, Ochenta said she approached and asked Salle for help to recover her lost sports utility vehicle which she suspected to have been pulled off by relatives.
“According to the victim, the subject officer asked her to pay P140,000 in order for them to start the investigation,” said Caramat.
Since Ochenta did not have the amount, the suspect allegedly suggested a certain “Alex,” purportedly a civilian employee of the HPG who offered to lend her P70,000.
At that time, Ochenta said she was about to leave the country and resume her work in Canada. So she took the bait and agreed to send money from Canada to pay the loan.
When Ochenta returned last February to follow up on the investigation, the civilian employee told her that Salle had yet to return a single pesos she loaned.
When Ochenta confronted Salle, the suspect admitted that he already spent the money intended for Alex.
To be able to pay Alex, Salle suggested that he would help Ochenta pawn her other vehicle, a Mitsubishi Adventure.
“Due to the kindness of the complainant she agreed and turned over her car to the suspect,” Caramat said.
However, Caramat said Salle did not pawn the vehicle and appropriated it for his personal use.
It did not take long before Ochenta realized that she was duped.
Caramat said Ochenta showed photos of the vehicle parked at the HPG headquarters and along EDSA driven by Salle.
When the victim demanded the return of her vehicle, Salle claimed that he had pawned it for P300,000.
The second time Ochenta made the demand, Salle asked for P440,000.
Ochenta said she reported the incident to the Internal Affairs Service in April this year, but her complaint was not acted upon.
The victim then heard of the IMEG which promptly laid out the entrapment operation.
As soon as he received the marked money, Salle was nabbed by IMEG operatives.
The complainant then heard of the IMEG where she reported Salle’s alleged extortion try, leading to the arrest of Salle as soon as he received the money.
Investigation is under way to find the extent of Salle’s alleged extortion racket and determine the culpability of the suspect’s civilian cohort. (Aaron Recuenco)
