A fire inspector from the Cebu City Fire Station was arrested by NBI-7 agents for allegedly demanding P400,000 from an applicant with the promise that she would be guaranteed to pass the recruitment process. | NBI-7 Photo
CEBU CITY, Philippines — A fire inspector from the Cebu City Fire Station (CCFS) landed in jail after he was caught allegedly soliciting money from an applicant in exchange for guaranteed acceptance to the agency.
The suspect was apprehended during an entrapment operation by the National Bureau of Investigation in Central Visayas (NBI-7) on Thursday afternoon, June 27, 2024.
READ MORE:
2 friends charged with extortion over explicit video in Cebu City
Extortionist nabbed, charged with estafa in Mandaue
3 fake cops busted for extortion in Rizal
The accused was identified as Fire lnspector Roy Mat Castro, chief of the CCFS Fire Safety Enforcement Section (FSES).
NBI-7 director Lawyer Renan Augustus Oliva said that the female victim sought their help after the suspect allegedly demanded money from her before she would take her oath scheduled next week.
When the victim applied to be a Fire Safety Officer 1, the suspect allegedly asked her to pay P400,000 so that the suspect could allegedly guarantee that she would pass the recruitment process.
The victim, who had no choice but to agree, reportedly passed the different exams and the deliberation.
However, Castro allegedly sent her a message recently saying that it was time for her to pay the money.
How Cebu City fire inspector was caught
After NBI-7 agents validated her complaint, they set up a meet-up with the suspect, who came from Manila, at a restaurant along Archbishop Reyes Avenue in Cebu City.
Operatives prepared the agreed initial payment of P200,000 and had the victim meet the suspect, who was with an acquaintance, at around 2:15 p.m.
Footage of the operation showed the moment when Castro accepted the envelope and hid it inside his bag.
He was then apprehended by the law enforcers and brought to the NBI-7 custodial facility, where he was detained.
According to Oliva, the suspect’s acquaintance was a retired fire official and served as a witness to the incident.
Cases filed against Cebu City Fire Inspector
Operatives filed charges of grave misconduct, direct bribery, and in violation of the Republic Act Number 3019 or the “Anti-graft and Corrupt Practices Act” against Castro at the Office of the Ombudsman on Friday, June 28.
NBI-7 agent Lawyer Wenceslao Galendez Jr. further said that the victim felt that she had no choice but to pay up as it was her third time applying for the job.
However, Castro allegedly admitted that he had no power to influence the application process.
Due to this, Galendez said that there might be a possibility that he had another cohort within the agency.
Galendez said that they were also looking into whether Castro had previously solicited money from other victims.
Operatives are confident that the case against Castro is airtight as they have multiple pieces of evidence, said Oliva.
Among these were the closed-circuit television (CCTV) footage from the restaurant, exchange of messages between suspect and victim, and statements of witnesses.
NBI to probe other allegations
Following Castro’s arrest, Oliva said that they had received reports of other allegations against some personnel of the agency involved.
He said that they would be looking further into these reports.
“This is a continuing investigation. Not only into this matter. This is for a job opportunity. There are other allegations also which we will continue to investigate,” said Oliva.
Oliva also urged members of the public with information about similar experiences to immediately report to NBI-7 so that the perpetrators would be held accountable.