Prosecutor sacked for alleged extortion

MANILA, Philippines - The Department of Justice has sacked a Cavite provincial prosecutor who allegedly demanded and received money from litigants in a P1 million estafa case.

Assistant Prosecutor Leonuel Mas was ordered relieved from his post and also charged with violations of R.A. 3019 (Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act, Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees, grave misconduct and dishonest under the Administrative Code.

The order was handed down by Cavite Chief Provincial Prosecutor Emmanuel Velasco through a memorandum signed on March 24.

It stemmed from a complaint of Anabelle Sarte Gana and her uncle Lauro Sarte, who are litigants in a estafa case that was being investigated by Mas.

Velasco said the complaints accused Mas of demanding from them on March 19 the amount of P150,000 as payment for filing fee, which they already paid earlier and that only cost P6,000.

Mas supposedly explained to them that the additional amount was needed because of the amount involved in their case. Unaware of the rules in filing a case in court, the complainants then haggled for a lower fee of P58,000 to which Mas agreed.

Velasco said the Sartes were forced to give the money the following day after Mas told them that the case would not prosper without additional payment and that the respondent in their complaint was well connected in the prosecutor’s office.

The prosecutor took the cash placed inside an envelope and pocketed it, the complainants told Velasco.

Four days after, the Sartes contacted Velasco, whose number is posted on the prosecutor’s office in Cavite to report the incident.

Velasco said he told the complainants to execute a handwritten affidavit after explaining to them that it is not the duty of prosecutors to assess and collect docket fees. He also told them that it was a “clear case of extortion.” – Edu Punay