A suspected member of a "Bodol-Bodol Gang" arrested for his attempt to victimize the aunt of a Silay councilor, was caught in the act yesterday of offering a bribe of P20,000 to SPO4 Leo Canag, chief of Silay police Theft and Robbery Section, during a follow-up operation in Victorias City.

City police chief Celestino Guara said Aldrin Gonzaga, a member of the Bodol-Bodol Gang, who is wanted in Aklan for swindling, offered the amount for his release.

The bribery incident was witnessed and footage of it was taken by ABS-CBN cameramen, who were set up by Guara, after Canag informed him of the cash offered to him by Gonzaga.

Canag, accompanied by Silay policemen, went to Victorias City, supposedly to arrest other members of the Bodol-Bodol Gang. To his surprise, he was offered money by Gonzaga, Guara said.

Police investigations show that Gonzaga, who has multiple addresses, such as Compostela, Cebu, Dipolog and Zamboanga City, was arrested at the BPI bank branch in Silay City. He was then accompanying a would-be victim, an aunt of Councilor Pop-eye Locsin, who was about to withdraw money from her account.

The female companion of Gonzaga, identified only as "Karen" managed to evade arrest on board a silver grey Toyota Corolla vehicle believed to come from rent-a-car establishment, Guara said.

The Aklan police has furnished the Silay police a picture of Gonzaga.

Civic leader and lawyer Luz-Dato-Lacson who was recently swindled of about P3 million in cash and jewelry, was among the victims of the Bodol-Bodol Gang in Negros Occidental.

Guara said Gonzaga is not only being investigated by the Silay police but also by those from other PNP units in Negros Occidental.*GPB

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