Authorities in Baguio City have arrested a woman who posed to be a retired judge and her fixer accomplice. They extorted a large sum of money from a senior citizen couple who had a land case in Isabela.
According to the victims, they were approached by a middleman who said he knew a judge who could help with their case. He demanded a P30,000 down payment for the alleged “slot” of the case, and later demanded additional payments until it reached P200,000.
Due to the repeated demands for money, the victims became suspicious. They were able to confirm from an acquaintance at the prosecutor’s office that the judge’s identity was not real. They also met the real judge who said he was only using his name.
The NBI planned an entrapment operation where the fixer was first caught. Later, the impersonating judge followed suit after taking the balance from the victims. The complaints against them increased when three more victims surfaced.
The two suspects are now facing charges of robbery-extortion and cyber libel. The NBI reminds us that it is still better to go through the legal process to ensure that everything is in order.
