4 TMG agents facing charges for extortion

Four personnel of the Traffic Management Group are now facing investigation for allegedly extorting P100,000 from a wealthy Malabon businessman on Sunday night, just when authorities were on alert because of the Luzon-wide blackout that submerged Metro Manila and nearby provinces in darkness.

The victim, Bernabe "Beng" Balatbat, 52, a well-to-do businessman, personally went to the TMG headquarters yesterday to formally seek the investigation of the four traffic personnel led by one Inspector Villanueva.

Balatbat claimed he was accosted by members of the TMG-Mobile Patrol Group which was conducting routine patrol in the Caloocan City area. The TMG spotted him driving a vintage BMW motorcycle at around 5 p.m. the other day.

When accosted, Balatbat failed to show pertinent documents to the TMG personnel prompting the victim to invite the traffic personnel to his residence in Malabon purportedly to show them the ownership papers.

Villanueva and his men accompanied Balatbat to his house, but they later learned that the motorcycle, a 1966 black BMW big bike, had spurious documents.

According to Balatbat, who was surprised about the TMG personnel’s revelations, he and a friend readily submitted themselves for investigation and went to the TMG office inside Camp Crame at around 7 p.m.

The BMW motorcycle was also confiscated and locked up at the TMG impounding area.

Upon reaching the office of Chief Inspector Lorenzo Holanday, chief of the TMG’s Anti-Carnapping Unit, Balatbat said, to his surprise, the TMG personnel threatened to file charges and detain him if he fails to produce P100,000.

Balatbat said his family lost no time in raising the money for his freedom. He was freed without the filing of charges after handing over a total of P57,000 in cash to Villanueva and his men.

Holanday, upon learning about the incident, has vowed to conduct a fair investigation.

Balatbat said he sees no problem if the motorcycle was reported stolen because he bought it in good faith.

Balatbat said he had to come forward because he could not stomach the extortion of the TMG personnel which happened right under the nose of TMG director Chief Superintendent Renato Paredes.