Ex-soldier nabbed for extortion in North Cotabato
Peace and Order • 17:45 PM Thu Nov 18, 2021
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By:
DXMS Cotabato City
PIKIT, North Cotabato – Alert police officers arrested today a former soldier who tried to extort money from Pikit Mayor Sumulong Sultan during an entrapment operation, police said.
He was the second former soldiers nabbed by police during law enforcement operation in North Cotabato the past two days.
Major Maxim Peralta, Pikit municipal police office chief, identified the suspect as Ryan Calayan Maborrang, 33, a resident of Barangay Gen. Luna, Carmen, North Cotabato.
Peralta said Maborrang has been calling and sending short messages to Mayor Sultan and introduced as a certain Colonel Joel Limson of Police Regional Office 12.
Mayor Sultan sought the help of Maj. Peralta for the conduct of entrapment operation.
Maborrang agreed to meet and collect the P50,000 he was demanding from Mayor Sultan at the back of the municipal town hall located in Fort Pikit at 2 p.m.
After the man received the bag that contained the supposed extortion money composed of 50 pieces boodle money, Maborrang was arrested by police intelligence operatives.
Maborrang at first resisted arrest but later mellowed down.
“He was asking P50,000 in exchange for police operations against my political opponents,” Mayor Sultan said in a radio interview. He did not name alleged target of operation.
Maborrang is now detained at Pikit police lock-up cell while charges for extortion are being prepared against him.
Peralta said the suspect has already been discharged from military service.
On Tuesday, a formers soldier was arrested at a police checkpoint in Pigcawayan, North Cotabato for possession of an unlicensed rifle and ammunition.