Three others arrested in entrapment operation launched based on complaint made via 8888 hotline
(Eagle News) — The chief of Iligan’s Highway Patrol Team was arrested for extortion in an entrapment operation on Wednesday.
Apart from Senior Inspector Rolando Rigat, SP02 Crisanto Bernardo and two civilian auxiliaries identified as Mac Harvey Abad and Sidney Cañete were nabbed at 6:15 p.m., during the operation launched by joint elements of the Counter-Intelligence Task Force and the ICHPT.
The operation was conducted after an almost two-month surveillance done on Rigat’s team, upon the instruction of the Office of the President, which received reports about the suspects’ illegal activities via the hotline 8888, Supt. Liony Royga, Iligan police chief said in a radio interview.
The four were arrested after they received the P3,000 marked money from a businessman, whom they had stopped for supposedly not having a complete license plate.
Royga said the group had initially asked for P1500.
“Sa info na nareceive natin, mga truck na nagkakarga ng isda na dumadaan (sa highway) ang kinokotongan,” Royga added.
Royga said criminal and administrative charges will be filed against the four, who are detained in the Iligan police headquarters.