LTO employee caught in extort try on drug test firm

An employee of the Land Transportation Office (LTO) was arrested in an entrapment operation in Quezon City for allegedly extorting money from a drug testing company.

LTO clerk Jovann Mendiola, 31, is facing charges of robbery extortion, said Superintendent Edgardo Pamittan, commander of the Quezon City Police District-Station 7.

Policemen arrested Mendiola in an entrapment operation Thursday afternoon, during which Mendiola accepted P1,200 worth of marked money from engineer Lyn Alegre, owner of LA Bio Drug Testing, who claimed the suspect has been extorting money from her since 2007.

 “Our complainant said the suspect has been getting P30 from the payment of each client of the drug testing firm referred to her by the suspect,” Pamittan said in an interview.

The suspect allegedly collects his percentage of the fees at the end of each working day, the police official said.

According to the complainant, there were two of them servicing clients having transactions at the LTO branch on 20th Avenue in Cubao but because of Mendiola’s activities, the other drug testing firm had left.

 “When she (Alegre) complained to the suspect because of the losses in revenues she had been incurring, Mendiola allegedly harassed her and threatened to refer the clients to other drug testing firms,” Pamittan said. Mendiola allegedly claimed he is a relative of an LTO official. 

Pamitan said Alegre sought his assistance last week and that he told the complainant to prepare the papers to charge the suspect.

Pamitan said Mendiola denied the charges against him.   – Reinir Padua