Army officer arrested for extorting applicants

COTABATO CITY (MindaNews) — An Army officer was arrested Friday by joint army counter-intelligence group and Criminal Investigation and Detection Group in the Bangsamoro Region over reports he was getting money from applicants at the 6th Infantry Division.

Maj. Arvin Encinas, spokesperson of Western Mindanao Command (Wesmincom) confirmed the arrest of Lieutenant Colonel Samsudin Pulua, deputy executive officer of the 6th Civil Military Operations Battalion of the division.

Around 11am on Friday, the operatives staged an entrapment operation in Pulua’s residence in Julian Street, Barangay Semba, Datu Odin Sinsuat in Maguindanao.

The officer did not resist arrest after he was reportedly caught in the possession of an envelope with marked money and “boddle money” amounting to P5,000 pesos.

Reports said Puluan was asking money from Army applicants in exchange for slots in the quota for recruits allotted for the 6th ID.

Encinas said the Westmincom is saddened and disturbed by what they learned.

He said the military would not tolerate any wrongdoing by its members no matter who commits it.

Pulua will face civil and administrative cases before a court martial.

He is now under the custody of CIDG-BARMM.