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Wednesday, February 13, 2008
PNOC guard sued for terror, extortion
By Malu C. Manar
Correspondent
KIDAPAWAN CITY -- The Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) in North Cotabato filed on Monday charges of terrorism and robbery with extortion against the security guard of the Philippine National Oil Company (PNOC).
Police and military intelligence operatives arrested the guard in the city Friday on suspicion that he is a member of the Al Khobar gang.
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Melvin Claro, who works as security officer of PNOC detailed at the Mindanao geothermal production field in Mount Apo, was arrested four days after the Davao Metro Shuttle Bus Company -- one of the biggest bus companies plying the Davao-General Santos route -- deposited around P25,000 in his bank account.
The account was traced to one of the banks in the city.
Intelligence reports said the deposit made by Metro Shuttle on February 4 in Claro's account was the second since last year. The first was last December 3, 2007 when suspected members of Al Khobar started extorting money from the company.
The robbery with extortion complaint was filed before the Kidapawan City Prosecutor's Office, while complaints of terrorism were filed before the prosecutor's office in General Santos City.
Claro was accused of terrorism because of his alleged involvement in the latest explosion in General Santos City that killed four and injured 28 others.
The charge sheet also included 20 others believed to be members and operatives of Al Khobar.
Al Khobar admitted it was the group that masterminded the explosion. The group has also been extorting protection money from the local government of General Santos City.
Claro, however, denied all the accusations hurled against him. He told authorities he did not withdraw such amount. According to him, somebody borrowed his automated teller machine (ATM) card sometime in December last year.
He refused to identify the borrower.
His wife, Sonia, is bent on filing charges against police and Army officers who arrested her husband without a warrant.
Relatives said Claro was denied of legal assistance and visit of immediate family when he was under the custody of his arresting officers for three days, which were clear violations of Republic Act 7438, an act that defines certain rights of person arrested, detained, or under custodial investigation.
The arrest was done Friday but the filing of complaints was done Monday.
Senior Superintendent Lester Camba, provincial director of the Cotabato Provincial Police Office, said there was no illegal in the arrest since Claro was arrested during a legitimate operation.
The pursuit operations against Claro started in December when intelligence reports identified him as one of Al Khobar's financial conduits in North Cotabato.
Kidapawan City Prosecutor Al Calica, also head of the Special Anti-Terrorism Task Force of the Department of Justice (DOJ) in Central Mindanao, said Claro was placed under inquest proceedings.
Claro was the third suspected Al Khobar operative arrested since November last year. The other two -- identified as Alex Sanduyugan and Muhalidin Hassan, both residents of Barangay Nuangan this city -- were arrested hours after the KMCC Mall bombing here on November 22, 2007.
Hassan is a relative of Claro's wife. (Sun.Star Davao/Sunnex)
For more Philippine news, visit Sun.Star Pangasinan. (February 13, 2008 issue)
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