Full force of law vowed vs syndicates using First Lady’s name in robbery-extortion try

The Criminal Investigation and Detection Group-National Capital Region has warned unscrupulous individuals and groups against using the name of First Lady Liza Araneta Marcos to rob and extort money from business establishments if they do not want to face the full force of the law.

The warning came after police operatives’ successful entrapment operation in Pasay City recently that led to the arrest of the prime suspect and his cohorts involved in the robbery-extortion scheme.

"We are warning everyone against these people who are using the names of government officials and personalities so that they won't fall prey to these syndicates," said P/Lt. Col. Jose Joey Arandia of CIDG-NCR.

A similar warning has been issued by Malacanang in the past amid reports that several groups claiming to have “close ties” or misrepresenting themselves as Palace employees in order to extort money from business establishments.

Based on the investigation of CIDG-NCR, the suspects attempted to extort money from their victims through coercion and threats that their businesses will be shut down if they refused to pay, and even boasted that they were “connected” to the office of the First Lady.

In the entrapment operation, the CIDG-NCR used a businessman-complainant to pay the suspects PHP5 million in marked money that led to the arrest of the group.

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