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MANILA, Philippines — Police arrested an employee of Quezon City Hall for robbery extortion during an entrapment operation on Saturday.

The National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) identified the 56-year-old suspect as Joel Aquino Avila, who was apprehended by the Criminal Investigation and Detection Unit operatives in a restaurant along Visayas Avenue, Barangay Vasra.Ìý

Records showed that Avila was an employee of QC Hall’s engineering office.Ìý

An unnamed complainant told the police that the suspect asked him to deposit two checks worth P1 million and P500,000, which were supposed to be used to process of his building permit, business permit,Ìý zoning, and certificate of exemption for the warehouse of his pet food business back in 2022.Ìý

In the same year, Avila allegedly demanded another P1.1 million for a certificate of exemption. However, the complainant said he did not receive any documents from the suspect.Ìý

Two years later, on March 15, the complainant said Avila asked him again for P700,000. Authorities arrested him during their transaction.Ìý

Avila is currently under the custody of the CIDU-QCPD.