ENRILE, Cagayan – The Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) arrested three individuals who posed as information technology specialists and claimed to have connections with the Commission on Elections.
According to the CIDG, the suspects promised two candidates that they would win as mayor and vice mayor in the municipality of Enrile, Cagayan, in exchange for P90 million.
The operation stemmed from a complaint filed by Enrile mayoral candidate Robert Turingan and vice mayoral candidate Karen Turingan.
The two initially rejected the offer from the suspects but eventually agreed to an entrapment operation with the police.
However, the CIDG did not disclose when the alleged extortion took place.
The Turingans agreed to meet the suspects at a mall in Marikina City, where CIDG operatives apprehended the suspects yesterday afternoon.
Authorities recovered boodle money, identification cards, mobile phones, a vehicle, and a brown envelope containing genuine P1,000 bills from the suspects.
Authorities conducted a follow-up operation in Parañaque City, where one of the suspects was supposed to remit the money from the complainants.
However, the CIDG said that someone tipped off the other suspects about the transaction, and four more are still at large.
The suspects face criminal charges at the Marikina City Prosecutor’s Office for robbery with intimidation or violence/robbery extortion in relation to the Cybercrime Prevention Act and the Omnibus Election Code.
