ROTC ‘fixer’ arrested in Pasig City

A man was arrested in Pasig City over the weekend for allegedly extorting P750 each from three college students in exchange for passing grades or their exemption from the Reserve Officers Training Course (ROTC).

The arrest of the suspect, Lauro Dulawan, 23, of 3408 Bataan St., Sampaloc, Manila came as legislators are debating whether to scrap the ROTC in schools amid reports of rampant extortion of students taking the subject.

Dulawan did not resist arrest when cornered by men of Superin-tendent John Sosito, Pasig City police chief, inside a fastfood outlet in Barangay Caniogan at 2:30 p.m. Saturday.

Dulawan yielded P1,260 which was part of the marked money used by the police in the entrapment operation, said Sosito.

The complainants, Lemor Patulot, 17; Joseph Magistrado, 17; and Rodivir Magana, 21, all students of the Rizal Technological University in Mandaluyong City, sought police assistance after Dulawan demanded money from them in exchange for a passing grade or exemption from ROTC.

Inspector Rodante Arcigal, the local police follow-up division chief said Dulawan refused to cooperate in their investigation on the ROTC extortion racket.

"He told us that he will open up as soon as his lawyer arrives," said Arcigal, noting that no lawyer arrived at the police station as of yesterday to represent Dulawan. – Non Alquitran