NBI collars cop in alleged extort

The National Bureau of Investigation arrested a member of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG), for allegedly extorting more than P100,000 from a man they had caught and charged with illegal possession of firearms.

The NBI 7 agents arrested SPO4 Reynaldo Matillano while in the act of receiving the P15,000 marked money during an entrapment inside Jollibee-Makro at the Mandaue Reclamation Area about 2:30 p.m. yesterday.

The entrapment stemmed from a complaint filed by Ronnie Hernani, 35, of Pulpogan, Consolacion that he had to cough up P115,000 to settle the case that the CIDG has filed against him for illegal possession of firearms.

Hernani said that last March 9 at around 1:30 p.m., he was arrested by the group of Matillano at the Garden Bloom Acres Subdivision in Pitogo, Consolacion for possession of a .45 caliber pistol.

Hernani said that CIDG operatives allegedly led by Inspector Elmer Balaba together with Matillano, a certain Peria, Tumacay and two unidentified CIDG personnel, forcibly opened his car and took his firearm.

He said that the firearm’s license was still being processed through the amnesty program of the government.

According to Hernani, he was brought by the CIDG operatives to the house of Matillano in the same subdivision where he was allegedly asked to pay P100,000 to avoid facing charges.

The complainant said that because he was not able to produce the amount he was brought to the CIDG office where he was detained until March 12.

While in detention, Hernani said, a certain police officer Peria keep on demanding P100,000 from him until he was able to haggle for P70,000.

Hernani said that he paid the P70,000 last March 10 at about 11:00 in the morning inside the CIDG headquarters.

After receiving his payment, police officers Peria, Tumacay and Matillano brought him to the Provincial Prosecutor’s Office for the filing of the case.

Hernani said he was advised to post bail where he obliged and paid P80,000 thru a surety bond.

On March 11, while at the prosecutor’s office, Matillano allegedly demanded P20,000 from him as payment for the prosecutor. Since he only had P15,000 during that time, the remaining P5,000 was paid on the following day, March 12.

Even if his release order was issued by Regional Trial Court judge Ramon Codilla on March 11, Hernani was released on March 12.

On the following day after his release, Balaba reportedly called him and offered a remedy to have his case dismissed.

Hernani said he was asked to go to the CIDG office to sign a form for the renewal of his firearms license.

He said that he was again asked to pay P15,000 for the processing of his application even if the firearm license would only cost P5,000. On top of the P15,000 he was told to pay P50,000 for allegedly the attorney’s fee of lawyer Pedro Leslie Salva, whom Matillano allegedly contacted to assist him in his case.

Hernani said he begged from Salva that he will only give a partial payment of P15,000, which the lawyer agreed. On behalf of Salva, Matillano received the money.

Salva said, he issued a receipt for it.

However, Matillano allegedly demanded another P15,000 from Hernani as payment for the licensing of the firearm confiscated from him otherwise the case will not be dismissed.

It was at this instance that Hernani decided to seek some help. He first sought the assistance radio station dyHP, which referred him to the NBI.

An entrapment operation was immediately planned after coordination with the CIDG officials that resulted to Matillano’s arrest. NBI executive officer Ernesto Macabare said that they have coordinated with CIDG-7 chief Zoilo Lachica and the higher headquarters in Manila before the operation was conducted.

Matillano, who was once shot and wounded by a drug pusher, during an entrapment operation, denied the allegations saying he was only trying to help Hernani, because the latter allegedly begged for it.

The police officer said, he never demanded money from him.

He admitted receiving money from Hernani yesterday, but he said it was voluntarily given to him for the processing of the license.

Matillano was awarded the Medalya ng Sugatang Magiting by then Police Regional Office-7 director, Chief Supt. Silverio Alarcio, Jr. after getting wounded during a buy-bust operation that turned out to a shootout in barangay Yati, Liloan in 2006. 

New CIDG-7 regional officer, Sr. Supt. Zoilo Lachica, Jr. told The Freeman that SPO4 Matillano would be facing administrative charges and possibly be dismissed from the service if found guilty.

Lachica said, his men were given directives to do their jobs as what their functions are with the supervision of their officers, but on the incident he admitted that he has no knowledge of operation of Matillano.

Sr. Insp. Patrick Vaño, chief of intelligence and the immediate superior of Matillano, told The Freeman that he also has no knowledge of Matillano’s affair yesterday with the complainant, Ronnie Hernani.

Vaño said, Hernani was indeed arrested by Matillano along with five other policemen last Sunday in Consolacion for violation of RA 8294 and a case was filed against him the following day, but was able to post bail and then released.

Matillano reportedly explained to Vaño that he was acting in good faith by helping Hernani file the necessary documents of his firearm, because they are neighbors.

Proof to that is he was with his family at that time buying groceries when the entrapment operation happened.

“In good faith man daw siya nga nitabang paghikay sa lisensya sa armas adto niya kay silingan ra sila, siguro in good faith gyud ang kang Mati (Matillano) kay kung dili pa di niya dad-on iyang pamilya,” Vaño said. — With Edwin Ian Melecio/-NLQ