A SAN Simon, Pampanga mayor was arrested in an entrapment operation conducted by agents of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) on Wednesday.
The mayor is accused of extorting ₱80 million from a steel manufacturing company seeking to establish a business in his municipality.
According to a report by John Consulta on GMA News “24 Oras,” five bodyguards and a doctor, allegedly acting as a middleman in the transaction, were also arrested.
The operation took place at a restaurant in Clark, Pampanga. Authorities recovered ₱30 million in marked money from the mayor – a portion of the ₱80 million he allegedly demanded from the company.
NBI Director Jaime Santiago stated that the entrapment operation was launched after the company complained about the exorbitant amount demanded by the mayor. The mayor reportedly requested ₱30 million as an initial payment, with the remaining balance due upon the council’s approval of the company’s operations.
“Once the council resolution [permitting the company’s operation] is released, the remaining amount will be paid,” Santiago explained.
The NBI also discovered that one of the mayor’s bodyguards is a soldier who could not present a mission order justifying his presence with the local official. Several high-caliber firearms were confiscated and are being investigated to determine if proper documentation exists.
The mayor and his companions refused to give statements, according to the report.
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