DOJ probes extortion raps vs NBI

MANILA, Philippines - The Department of Justice (DOJ) created yesterday a fact-finding team to investigate at least four officials and agents of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) who allegedly extorted P6 million from an undocumented Japanese woman.

DOJ Secretary Leila de Lima has directed the three-man panel to investigate NBI security and management division (SMD) chief Mario Garcia; his executive officer, Jose Odellon Cabillan; and two agents who arrested Noriyo Ohara last Oct. 29 and reportedly detained her until her foster family paid part of the P15 million they demanded as ransom.

Spokesperson Cecilio Zamora said NBI Director Magtanggol Gatdula has ordered the relief of Garcia and Cabillan, who are now on “floating status.” Garcia was replaced, effective Monday, by Head Agent Arnold Lazaro.

Though Gatdula ordered an investigation of the allegations, De Lima has ordered the DOJ to take over the probe. She tapped Undersecretary Francisco Baraan III to head the probe panel, whose members include Assistant Secretary Zabedin Azis and City Prosecutor Donald Lee.

In yesterday’s press conference, the DOJ chief said she ordered the investigation after receiving last week a sworn statement and several pieces of evidence about the extortion from Ohara’s foster family, the Marzans from Pangasinan.

“This is very puzzling to me. It’s a very serious matter that should be looked into,” she told reporters.

Garcia and Cabillan have already been temporarily relieved from their posts but still reported for work Monday, she said.

Fleeing the Yakuza

De Lima admitted she immediately suspected that the NBI’s arrest of Ohara, who is reportedly being hunted by the Japanese crime syndicate Yakuza, was irregular.

“What is the business of the NBI, particularly this SMD, holding on to her or having her in custody for days already?” she said.

The DOJ chief bared that Ohara, who arrived in the country in 2009 and assumed a Filipino identity, was taken by the NBI agents last Oct. 29 for violating the immigration law.

“We’re not even sure what is the background of this woman, why was she here and why she did not pass through immigration,” she said.

De Lima said the Japanese woman is currently in the custody of the Japanese embassy in Manila. She said they have requested that Ohara be transferred to the custody of the Bureau of Immigration (BI).

“We can’t just deport her pending investigation,” she stressed.

According to initial investigation, Ohara flew to the Philippines in 2009 to allegedly escape the Yakuza, which wanted her killed. She stayed with the Marzan family, who live in Bugallon, Pangasinan.

A Filipino friend working in Japan reportedly contacted a BI employee, who assured Ohara would not pass through the immigration desk upon her arrival in Manila.

Negotiation

The Marzan family told De Lima that the members of the NBI-SMD arrested Ohara for immigration violations last Oct. 28. In exchange for Ohara’s liberty, the Marzan family claimed the agents first asked for P100 million but they negotiated the amount down to P15 million.

Members of the Marzan clan – Glenda Marzan, Cristina Vinluan and Johnny Perez – said they delivered the P6 million in installments to the NBI headquarters. On Oct. 29, they handed P1 million to Cabillan and to a certain Chona.

On Nov. 2, Cabillan allegedly received from the Marzans P4 million in the SMD chief’s office while on Nov. 9, the Marzans again handed P1 million to Cabillan and Chona.

Ohara was transferred to the embassy after her foster family went to members of media for help.