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Employee holds Meralco microchip seals for ransom, nabbed in entrapment ops


A 29-year-old employee, who allegedly tried to extort money from the company he works for, was nabbed in an entrapment operation inside a fast food restaurant in Batangas City.

A 24 Oras report by John Consulta identified the suspect as Simeon Balmes, an employee of a subcontractor for the Manila Electric Co. (Meralco).

Authorities said it has been two weeks since the 200 pieces of Meralco electric microchip meter seals worth P600,000 went missing.

Officials of the company then received a text message, asking for P300,000 in exchange for the microchip meter seals.

"From P300,000 we come up into P150,000 at tumawad pa rin tayo P100,000 doon na natin kinasa 'yung entrapment operation," said Superintendent Wildemar Tiu, chief of the Batangas police.

The suspect did not deny the accusations against him. Balmes said he badly needed money for his children.

"Hindi naman po pinaginteresan ko 'yung ganon kalaki, ang gusto ko lang po makauwi sa amin, makuha mga anak ko. Wala naman po makain 'yung mga nandon, ako lang po nagtratrabaho," Balmes said.

Seized from the suspect were 20 pieces of the microchip meter seals, marked money and the cellphone used in the transaction.

Balmes will be facing charges on robbery-extortion.

"Malaking bagay po 'yung ating victim, pumunta sa kapulisan at nagtiwala. With your cooperation ang ating kapulisan ay laging handa pagserbisyuhan kayo," Tiu said. —Anna Felicia Bajo/NB, GMA News

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