NBI NABS NARCOTICS EXEC FOR EXTORTION

BAGUIO CITY -- THE NATIONAL Bureau of Investigation last week arrested
an agent of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) for
allegedly receiving marked money from the family of an illegal drug
suspect.

The NBI said PO3 Erwin Garcia, who is assigned to the PDEA Cordillera
office, was arrested on Dec. 10 while accepting P50,000 in marked
bills from Christian Emily Bartolome, a dentist.

Garcia arrested Bartolome's husband, Englebert, in November for
selling shabu (methamphetamine hydrochloride) to undercover PDEA
agents in November.

Bartolome had gone to the NBI Cordillera office and the Baguio City
police office after Garcia and several PDEA officers promised to offer
tampered evidence to reduce Englebert's case in exchange for P100,000,
according to NBI agents who had placed Garcia under
surveillance.

Supt. Bernardo Borrinaga, PDEA Cordillera director, told the Inquirer
on Thursday that an internal affairs investigation was ongoing.