Iloilo hotels target of extortion racket
Unidentified groups are reportedly capitalizing on the Glorietta 2 explosion in Makati City to extort money from the different hotels here in the city.
Because of this the Iloilo Hotels Resorts and Restaurants Association (IHRRA) sought the help of the city's police to protect their businesses.
A source who spoke on condition of anonymity said, the modus of the group is to call up the hotel and demand for money. If the hotel management refuses to give in to their demands, the group will then threaten to bomb the hotel.
The same source did not divulge the name of the hotels in the city that already received such calls.
IHRRA president Robert Ferrer reportedly met with Iloilo City Police Office (ICPO) director Senior Supt. Wesley Barayuga to discuss possible actions against the extortion modus.
The association reportedly asked for the police to provide maximum security in all hotels, restaurants and resorts in the city.
Earlier, Mayor Jerry Treñas ordered the police to tighten the security in malls and other places of convergence in the wake of the Glorietta 2 incident which killed 11 people and injured several others. The same order holds through in all cemeteries and memorial parks in the city in preparation for the All All Saints Day celebration.