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Tuesday, May 24, 2005
Vigilante gets 5 days, fined P200 for threats
By Raquel C. Bagnol
A SELF-confessed member of the Davao Death Squad (DDS) who was accused of trying to extort P60,000 from a lawyer and threatening that her son will be killed if she does not hand over the amount demanded has been sentenced to five days in jail plus a fine of P200.
In a one-page decision, Judge Jesus V. Quitain of the Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 15 Monday sentenced Emilio Dexter Centillas of Davao Oriental for grave threats.
Centillas pleaded guilty when arraigned.
Chief City Prosecutor Raul Bendigo approved the filing of charges against Centillas for allegedly trying to extort money from lawyer Teresita dela Peña, of Avanceña Street in Matina and employee of the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulation Bureau (LTFRB), in exchange for removing her son's name from the drug watch list on October 5.
Dela Peña in her affidavit said she received a telephone call at the LTFRB office around 5 p.m. on September 21 from a man who identified himself as a member of the DDS.
The caller told her that her son was included in the list of those allegedly involved in the illegal drugs trade and asked P60,000 from her to remove her son's name from the list.
Dela Peña reported the incident to her husband, who in turn coordinated with the police authorities.
When the suspect called her up again the following day, she promised him that she will give an initial amount of P5,000 at 9 p.m. that day in front of their house.
The caller however sensed a set-up and did not pick up the money as arranged.
Dela Peña said that on October 4, another alleged DDS member who identified himself as Centillas called her and told her they will get the money at a gasoline station on Quezon Boulevard in Davao City at 2:30 that afternoon.
Dela Peña said she promised Centillas she will give P30,000 but again, the pay-off did not push through as the caller seemed to have sensed another set-up.
The pay-off finally took place at the parking area of Victoria Plaza in Bajada at around 4:45 on October 5, which led to the arrest of Centillas and his companion, Police First Class Arnel Macas of the 404th Brigade based in Mawab, Compostela Valley.
Police authorities were also able to confiscate an unlicensed .45 Colt pistol, a magazine containing six live ammunition, a cellular phone, identification card and cash amounting to P800 from Macas' possession.
For Bisaya stories from Davao. Click here. (May 24, 2005 issue)
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