FAKE POLICEMAN ARRESTED FOR EXTORTION

A 42-YEAR-OLD former overseas Filipino worker in Batangas who pretended to be a police officer to extort money was arrested by members of the Philippine National Police-Integrity Monitoring and Enforcement Group (PNP-IMEG) late Monday.

The suspect was identified as Arvin Luzaran Sumague, a resident of 170 Iwahig St., Barangay Sta. Maria, Talisay, Batangas. He was arrested at a convenience store in Barangay Banga.

Investigations showed that Sumague identified himself as a certain Police Corporal Edison.

According to the report, personnel from the PNP-IMEG and Talisay police acted on the complaint of Peter Paul Pascuguin, a resident of Poblacion 1, Talisay, Batangas, that an alleged PNP personnel extorted money from him.

The extortion emanated at the wake of his cousin wherein several gambling tables were put up in Barangay Banga. Pascuguin alleged that a certain Corporal Edison approached him and asked for protection money for the gambling tables.

After receiving the information, a joint operation was immediately launched and the team went to the area.

The complainant, upon the instructions of the fake cop, went to the convenience store to deliver the protection money. Allegedly, a certain Joel Austria was the one who instructed Corporal Edison to collect money.

After the marked money was handed over to the fake policeman, IMEG operatives and Talisay MPS arrested the suspect.

The suspect was brought to the Talisay Municipal Police Station for further investigation and proper disposition.

The PNP-IMEG said the arrest was covered by a recording device as required by law.