Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra warned employees of the Department of Justice (DoJ) against involvement in illegal activities.
Guevarra made the warning after the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) arrested last week a DoJ employee for extorting P1 million from a Customs broker.
“The DoJ is the principal agency mandated to administer criminal justice,” the Justice Secretary said.
“Thus, any personnel of the DoJ, in whatever capacity or status, who gets involved in criminal activities should expect a stricter treatment under the laws that he is duty-bound to enforce and implement,” Guevarra said.
The NBI Special Action Unit (NBI-SAU) arrested Louie Musni Miranda, a contractual employee of the DoJ Witness Protection Program (WPP), during an entrapment operation in Quezon City last Tuesday.
During the entrapment operation, Miranda was caught accepting marked money from the complainant Ramir Gomez.
Following his arrest, Miranda was taken to the DoJ last Wednesday for inquest for robbery and extortion in violation of the Revised Penal Code (RPC).
The NBI said Miranda introduced himself to the complainant as an emissary of retired Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Police Gen. and incoming Bureau of Customs (BoC) Commissioner Camilo Pancratius Cascolan.
Miranda claimed being tasked by Cascolan to collect P1 million from each Custom broker as “pasalubong” or gift for the incoming BoC chief.
The suspect warned those who failed to pay will have to give P10 million by January.
However, the complainant was able to confirm with Cascolan’s brother, Major Camilo Cascolan Jr. of the BoC Enforcement and Security Service (BoC-ESS), that Miranda has not been directed to get money from brokers.
Because of this, the complainant sought the help of the NBI in arresting Miranda.