Laguna traffic chief held for extortion

CAMP VICENTE LIM, Laguna, Philippines — A former policeman was arrested for alleged extortion in Bay, Laguna on Thursday.

Police said Marino Garcia, chief of the Laguna traffic management office, was caught  receiving money from truck driver Russel Petrache in an entrapment at a gasoline station in Barangay Calo at around 5:30 p.m.

Marked money worth P5,000  and a wallet, which contained P40,200, were reportedly recovered from the suspect.

Col. Jeff Fanged, Integrity Monitoring and Enforcement Group-Luzon field unit chief, said most of Garcia’s victims were  cargo truck drivers.

Fanged said Garcia also demanded weekly payola or bribe money from truck drivers before allowing them to pass through checkpoints. - Emmanuel Tupas