LEGAZPI CITY—Sorsogon City police arrested on Saturday a man suspected of extorting money from a bishop of the Catholic Church in Barangay Bibingcahan, Sorsogon City.
A police report identified the suspect as 26-year-old Leo F. Funtanares, a nurse and resident of Sitio Arasyang, Barangay Union, Gubat, Sorsogon. He reportedly took money from Bishop Arturo Bastes, a resident of the Roman Catholic Home for the Clergy in said barangay.
The report said Funtanares went to the office of the bishop on May 3 and said that he was having a relationship with one of the staff member-priests of the latter.
On May 13, the suspect returned and threatened to expose his relationship with the priest if Bastes did not give him P10 million. On May 25, Funtanares lowered his “offer” to P5 million.
Because of the threat, the bishop decided to give P25,000 on June 1 and told the suspect to come back after two weeks for a second payment.
On June 14, through his representative, Bastes decided to inform the SCPS, which immediately set up an entrapment operation against Funtanares.
Recovered from the suspect was an envelop containing P25,000 and two receipts from Bastes and signed by the suspect, indicating that he had received the amount from the bishop.