Sunday, July 01, 2007 Block timer, pal land extort raps By Ben Serrano
BUTUAN CITY -- Operatives of the Caraga Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) Regional Investigation and Detection Unit arrested in two separate occasions a radio block timer and his companion Tuesday afternoon and Monday morning respectively on robbery extortion charges.
Elmer Duropan Doyo, CIDG-Caraga regional chief, identified the suspects as Bobby Vicente Eva, a resident of Balantiyong, Maon, Butuan City, and his alleged companion Joel Dumas Portugal, a resident of First Street, Guingona Subdivision, also of Butuan City.
Vicente, a former broadcaster of local radio station dxDV of the UMBN Broadcasting (now dxDO) is now a block timer of local radio station dxJM of Phil Radio Butuan City while Joel Dumas Portugal is a marketing/advertising account officer of several local media outlets here.
Vicente also worked as the spokesman of local Genuine Opposition bets in the recently concluded May 14 midterm election.
Doyo said the CIDG raiding team was headed by SPO3 Florencio Dalman.
Doyo said in an interview that wood traders Aladino Ferrer and Jerome Illustrisimo, with the assistance of their lawyer Lawrence Fortun, has sought assistance with his office about the alleged extortion activities of the two suspects.
Doyo explained that based on affidavit complaints by the victims submitted to the City Prosecutors' Office, the suspects were allegedly demanding money in exchange for not exposing alleged illegal logging activities.
This prompted the CIDG to conduct police entrapment operations against the two.
First to fall in the entrapment operation was Joel Portugal who was arrested in front of Gaisano Mall along Rosales Street almost noon Monday.
Confiscated from his possession were marked money in four 500 peso bills amounting to P2,000 and one unit mobile phone which was used in communicating with the alleged victim, the CIDG official report said.
Second to fall in an entrapment was broadcaster Bobby Vicente known in local media circles here as "Bob Vicente" for his daily commentary program aired every morning at radio station dxJM.
The CIDG official report furnished to Sun.Star Cagayan de Oro claimed Vicente was charged with robbery and extortion with violence against or intimidation of persons.
Confiscated from Vicente, according to CIDG, were four marked 500 peso bills amounting to P2,000, a Nokia mobile phone, a tape recorder, and one Honda wave motorcycle.
Vicente was arrested in en entrapment operation at Allcryss Videoke House along Capitol Drive, Butuan City. The two did not issue comments. The two are in the custody of the CIDG regional office as of Friday.
