By ERMA EDERA
A man posing as a traffic enforcer was arrested by police Tuesday night after he allegedly extorted money from motorists.
The Manila Traffic and Parking Bureau (MTPB) said the suspect, Marc Leonard Arquera, was clad in MTPB uniform when he was apprehended on Lacson Avenue in Manila.
According to Mark Urieta, chief of the Anti-Scalawag and Internal Affairs Division of MTPB, Arquera would fabricate a violation such as swerving and beating the red light to extort money from drivers of trucks and private vehicles.
“He would come up with an initial violation and make it worse, then he would threaten the driver that he would impound their vehicles. He would also ask for R8,000 cash from the motorists,” Urieta said.
Arquera denied the allegations, saying that he volunteered to be a traffic enforcer as part of his community service in Traffic Sector 4.
“That is not true, I am just befriending the drivers,” he said.
It was learned that the suspect was also caught committing the same crime in 2016 in Tondo, Manila, after a mechanic filed a complaint against him.
MTPB chief Dennis Alcoreza also said that they will continue to hunt fake traffic enforcers preying on motorists.
The suspect will be charged with robbery through extortion.