By Jeffrey Damicog  The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) has filed charges against four personnel of the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) for alleged extortion activities. (MANILA BULLETIN) NBI Director Dante Gierran identified those charged as personnel of the BIR’s Revenue District Office (RDO) in Pasig City, namely, Alfredo Pagdilao Jr., Agripina Vallestero, Rufo Ranario and Michelle Dela Torre. They are facing charges of violating Republic Act 7080 (Anti-Plunder Law), RA 3019 (Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act), and for robbery through intimidation in violation of the Revised Penal Code. The charges were filed following an entrapment operation conducted jointly by the NBI National Capital Region (NBI-NCR) and the Presidential Anti-Corruption Commission (PACC) against the suspects at a hotel in Pasig City last July 20. The operation resulted in the arrest of Paagdilao and Vellestero, while, their two companions remain at-large. Gierran said the operation stemmed from the complaint of the PACC which said the suspects have been trying to extort P75 million from a well-known company. The NBI official said the suspects allegedly told the company that it still owed the government P1.6 billion in taxes. “In fact, the company was able to reconcile and substantiate the said tax deficiencies,” the NBI said. “However, the BIR officers refused to acknowledge the same and insisted that the company should pay P160 million, otherwise, they will enforce the entire deficiencies,” it added. A PACC official posed as an executive of the company and helped the NBI arrange the entrapment operation where the suspects were made to believe they will get P10 million as initial payment of the P75 million they have been asking for.