The National Bureau of Investigation's Intelligence Service (NBI-IS) arrested San Simon Mayor Abundio S. Punsalan Jr. and his subject cohort, Dr. Ed Ryan Dimla, in an entrapment operation in Angeles City, Pampanga, on Tuesday, August 5.
Authorities caught Mayor Punsalan and Cohort Dimla while allegedly receiving bribe money.
The operation was launched after Realsteel Corporation filed a complaint alleging that Mayor Punsalan demanded an 80 million peso bribe with an initial payment of 30 million pesos, and the remaining 50 million pesos to be paid on an installment basis, in exchange for a favorable local government resolution.
Mayor Punsalan and Cohort Dimla will face charges for violating the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act (RA 3019) and other relevant penal laws.
Mayor Punsalan’s security personnel, who were found carrying firearms and live ammunition, were also taken into custody for verification.
The suspects are now being transported to the NBI headquarters for inquest proceedings.
The entrapment operation was led by IS Assistant Director Noel C. Bocaling and the IS Divisions: Technical Intelligence Division, Counter Terrorism Division, Criminal Intelligence Division, Counter-Intelligence Division, and Intelligence Research Analysis Division, and Pampanga District Office.
