COTABATO CITY – Police authorities in Upi, Maguindanao on Wednesday filed charges of falsification of public documents and extortion against 10 men who were arrested for posing as Land Transportation Office (LTO) highway law enforcers.
Chief Insp. Erwin Tabora, Upi town police chief, said the 10 were arrested during an entrapment operation along the Cotabato-Upi-Lebak highway.
Charged before the provincial prosecutor’s office were Razib Tapanding, 25, of Maguindanao; Arthur Lumogdang, Candao Bantas, Charles Pacete, Peranio Pacete, Jeffrey Pacete, Ronald Bernal, Danilo Saliling, Angelito Noble and Jean Pacete, all from neighboring North Cotabato province.
“They were not law enforcers, they were extortionists preying on motorists,” Tabora said in a radio interview.
He said when complaints from motorists started to pile up at his office, Tabora coordinated with the LTO-ARMM (Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao) and learned they have not deployed law enforcers in the Upi area.
“This prompted an entrapment operation that led to the suspects’ arrest,” Tabora said.
Recovered from the suspects, who are now detained at Upi police detention cell, were fake LTO law enforcer uniforms, identification cards, and LTO banners and receipts. (Edwin Fernandez/PNA)
