Quezon City exec held for P2.6 million robbery-extortion

MANILA, Philippines — An alleged official of the Quezon City government who is accused of extorting P2.6 million from a businessman in exchange for the processing of permits and other documents for the victim’s pet food business was arrested on Saturday.

Joel Avila, 56, was arrested by operatives of the Quezon City Police District (QCPD) in an entrapment operation in a fastfood restaurant along Visayas Avenue in Barangay Vasra at around 8 p.m., National Capital Region Police Office director Maj. Gen. Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr. said.

Police apprehended Avila after a 47-year-old businessman complained that Avila, a supervisor assigned with the local government’s engineering department, extorted money from him.

The victim said the suspect initially demanded P1.5 million for the approval of a building permit, business permit and certificate of exemption from zoning ordinance for the warehouse of his pet food shop.

On another occasion, Avila demanded P1.1 million for the processing of a certificate of exemption. The victim said he issued bank checks in all the transactions, which were deposited in the account of the suspect’s wife.

However, none of the documents were given to the victim.

Last March 15, the suspect contacted the complainant and asked for P1.7 million supposedly for the reclassification of the zoning ordinance by the city council. He lowered it to P700,000 in response to the victim’s plea.

Nartatez said Avila warned the victim the documents are not going to be processed if he could not produce the money.

Fed up with Avila’s extortion, the victim reported the suspect’s activities to the QCPD, which in turn initiated an entrapment operation.

Avila was apprehended after he accepted the marked money from the victim. Seized from him were two identification cards, one of which showed he is assigned with the city government’s engineering office.

Records show Avila used to head the city engineering task force against dangling wires.

The suspect is being held on charges of robbery-extortion.