Detainee tries to bribe cop, arrested

CEBU, Philippines — A 38-year-old man was arrested twice in Daanbantayan town in northern Cebu for illegally transporting lumbers and for bribery yesterday.

Elements of Daanbantayan Police Station have arrested Michael Pacheco Cadajas in Sitio Pangpang, Barangay Tapilon of the town after he failed to present a permit for transporting Lawaan lumbers from Samar Province.

Cadajas is a resident of Sitio Liog-Liog, Carnaza, an island barangay in Daanbantayan.

Police Major Ian Macatangay, the town’s chief of police, said that Cadajas was first arrested for illegal transportation of lumbers.

Macatangay said that while in the station, the suspect who claimed to be the owner of the lumbers allegedly bribed him of P5,000 in exchange for the release of the lumbers.

“Gi-try ko niya og hatag og kwarta amount of 5,000 ipagawas ning mga kahoy nalang kay mga kahoy ra man kuno, dili lang siya dakpon, samot nga ako siya gidakop,” said Macatangay.

The Daanbantayan police are coordinating with the Samar police after the boat used in transporting the lumbers had immediately traveled back.

Investigation also revealed that Cadajas has been the middleman of such transactions in which the lumbers will be sold to different hardware stores.

“Pero special order ni kaning mga Lawaan kay di man ta kabaligya og Lawaan,” said Macatangay.

Cadajas will be facing the charges of violation of PD 705 otherwise known as the Forestry Code of the Philippines and for corruption of public officials.

Extortion

Meanwhile, the Cebu City Police Office is now monitoring a group of individuals who are allegedly extorting money from catering services using the names of prominent persons.

A catering service went to the office trying to verify if indeed CCPO director, Police Colonel Josefino Ligan, hired a catering service.

CCPO deputy director for operations, Police Col. Wilbert Parilla, said the modus of this group involves booking a catering service under a known name.

On the verification process of the catering service, this group would provide a number of another prominent name to confirm their connection with them.

“To make it sure nga motuo gyud ang ilang gi-order-ran, duna sad silay ihatag nga number nga prominente sad gihapon but ila ra diay ning kaila nga moingon nga oo kaila nako na si Colonel Ligan, suod na nako,” said Parilla.

Parilla added that when a group tried to order on behalf of Ligan’s name, they allegedly provided a number of a certain Lahug barangay captain who confirmed their connection with Ligan.

Upon the confirmation, the group and the catering service agreed to meet to settle the payment. However, on the day of the meet-up they would accordingly ask for an amount of money or a sum of load.

“Then at the same moingon na nga magkita ta kay para magbayranay and then later on moingon nga loadi lang usa ko diha og 500 or 1k kay naalanganin ko, on my way nako, di nako katawag nimo,” said Parilla.

Parilla has reminded the public to be vigilant on the kind of transaction.

The same incident was reportedly happened to some City Hall officials. — GMR (FREEMAN)