Moalboal cop arrested for extortion

A policeman in Moalboal was arrested yesterday in an entrapment operation conducted by the Provincial Investigation and Intelligence Bureau after he was found to have been extorting money from a businessman right in front of the Moalboal Police Station.

PIIB chief P/Supt. Juanito Enguerra led the entrapment operation after Moalboal Police chief Gil Limosnero sought for his help.

The cop was identified as PO1 Jerome Geromo, 39, married and a resident of Guadalupe, Cebu City. He is assigned at the Moalboal Police station for six years now.

Limosnero said that Rafael Niño Ybañez, a resident of barangay Panagsama, Moalboal who owns a bar near the police station complained that Geromo has been extorting money from him since September last year.

"Gisigehan na siya og extort og kwarta last year pa. Usahay moadto ang polis sa reklamante manghagis pa unya mangayo'g kwarta unya atong usang adlaw gipangayoan na pud siya. Wala na siguro kaagwanta ang biktima mao to nga mianhi siya nako gahapon ug nisumbong," Limosnero said.

Earlier, Limosnero reported the matter to Moalboal Mayor Inocentes Cabaron who agreed to conduct an entrapment to prove the allegation.

Limosnero said that he then prepared marked money which consisted of four P500 bills which were just photocopies of the original and gave these to Ybañez to be used for the entrapment.

The moment Ybañez handed over the marked money to Geromo, Enguerra and his men then arrested the cop, disarmed him of his service firearm, and took him to the police station.

Limosnero described the suspect as an erring policeman, adding that there have been instances in the past that he reported to the station drunk.

A case of child abuse was also filed against Geromo after he hit the head of Limosnero's 15-year-old errand boy. Geromo reportedly got mad because the errand boy did not clean his motorcycle properly.

A case of robbery with extortion will also be filed against Geromo and a report of the recent entrapment will be endorsed to the headquarters of the Cebu Provincial Police Office for the possible filing of an administrative case. - Flor Z. Perolina/MEEV