Court worker pleads not guilty to estafa charge

CEBU - A city court employee accused of estafa after he was caught for alleged extortion using fake search warrant leaded not guilty to the charge.

Arvin Oca said he is not guilty of committing estafa when the information of the case was read before him during the arraignment yesterday at the Regional Trial Court Branch 16.

RTC Judge Sylvia Paderanga scheduled the pre-trial conference for November 7.

The Office of the Ombudsman Visayas earlier indicted Oca of estafa instead of the robbery extortion that the National Bureau of Investigation has originally filed.

Oca was arrested by NBI last month during an entrapment operation after he allegedly demanded P150,000 from a certain Edgar Garciso.

Oca made Garciso believe that the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency has a pending application for search warrant against him and that he will intervene on his behalf in exchange for the said amount.

Oca reportedly claimed that the application is already about to be approved by RTC Judge Enriquita Belarmino and that he could have it denied because he allegedly have contacts inside.

Garciso, instead of giving in to the demand, sought the assistance of the NBI and immediately planned out an entrapment that resulted to Oca’s arrest. — Fred P. Languido/LPM (THE FREEMAN)