Iloilo’s foiled NBI dragnet and the lousy ‘extortionists’

By Alex P. Vidal

“Using coercion to drive charity is like using kidnapping to create love.” – Stefan Molyneux

ILOILO’s Atong (not the fugitive cockfighting aficionado involved in the missing sabungeros) proved himself to be more savvy and clever compared to the alleged extortionists of former Speaker and Leyte Rep. Ferdinand Martin Romualdez.

Although he failed to pick up the P30,000 cash intended as extortion payoff (it was a windfall in 1994 when the exchange rate was subtly $1 to P27) inside Tavern, a popular Iloilo City restaurant in the 90s, Atong’s crime had been swept under the rug for 32 years now.

In cahoots with the real mastermind, Benhur (not his real name), Atong was tasked to collect the loot inside the restaurant but changed his mind when alerted by the physician, the victim of an extortion attempt who was waiting with several National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) agents inside the crime scene.

The physician, known as “Arthur,” then the director of a state-owned medical center, had been embroiled in a corruption scandal and this was uncovered by Benhur, a “blocktime” radio talent (meaning he wasn’t employed in the station as a regular broadcaster).

To make the long story short, Benhur demanded from Arthur P30,000 cash in exchange for not tackling the issue in his radio program. Sounds familiar, huh.

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Arthur, who was in retirement age, agreed to pay the largesse, but did not have any idea it was his “friend” Atong who was asked by Benhur to pick up the cash.

In fact, Arthur didn’t know Atong, who visited his office regularly asking for “donations” in relation to Atong’s own monkey businesses, was associated with the notorious Benhur.

Arthur thought Benhur was acting alone until Atong entered the picture during the aborted payoff.

Although he received instructions from Benhur, Atong admitted later he had no idea it was Arthur who was the subject of Benhur’s felonious activity.

Benhur described to Arthur over the phone the profile of the person who would pick up the cash at around one o’clock in that afternoon. When Arthur saw Atong, he quickly called him to “back off.”

Atong, a born hustler, was quick-witted and smart, thus he backtracked, and speedily darted to the opposite street and avoided the NBI dragnet.

“Diutik lang gid ko bilay sing. Wala gid ko idea nga si Doc (real name) to gali,” Atong swore. “Tuod man. Cross my heart.” (It was a close call. I swear I had no idea it was my doctor friend who was involved. Cross my heart.)

Since the foiled caper, Atong severed his friendship with Benhur. They never spoke again until Benhur’s death years later.

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Romualdez’s five alleged extortionists (including those in their spurious online media outlet) led by Franco Mabanta weren’t cagey and wise enough when they allegedly committed the extortion.

They must have falsely imagined themselves belonging to gigantic networks like BBC and CNN that they believed any Tom, Dick, and Harry would easily succumb to their atrocious and incredible “extortion demands” that reached P300 million.

Based on their stature and social standing, they aren’t even worth P1 million.

The truth is, they were peanuts. To begin with, they weren’t even legitimate members of the press—or they weren’t even employed in reputed media organizations; the legitimacy of their claims as “investigative journalists” isn’t backed by any competent and empirical evidence.

In their frenzied attempt to get instant rich through their skullduggery, they ended up being manacled, jailed and humiliated.

They are lousy “extortionists” and should be dismissed as plain and simple hooligans masquerading as media workers.

(The author, who is now based in New York City, used to be the editor-in-chief of two leading daily newspapers in Iloilo, Philippines.—Ed)