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Friday, June 30, 2006
'Bodol-bodol' alive again
By Roberto L. Bacasong
TWO Bacolodnons lost a total of P194,000 in cash to a swindler who communicated with them thru cellular phone and instructed them to deposit money in various bank accounts.
The Bacolod City Police identified the victims as Mary Jane Tebe, 34, resident of Barangay Mansilingan; and Amabelle Lacson, 47, of Barangay Villamonte, both in Bacolod City.
Tebe lost her P170,000 while Lacson lost P24,000.
The victims, who were separately swindled, told the police that the same suspect who identified himself as William Golez duped them.
According to the victims, Golez introduced himself as the Philippine Ambassador to the United Arab Emirates.
In the case of Tebe, she told Police Station 7 investigator PO2 Lyndon Ortonio that Golez informed her that her husband allegedly stabbed his co-worker in Dubai and that her husband also sustained stab wounds and will be needing P165,000 for medical operations.
The victim added that Golez warned her not to tell anyone especially the police about this.
Tebe said at around 11 a.m. of Tuesday, she deposited the amount of P60,000 to the bank account of a certain Theresita Sobega with Account Number 352-523-3714.
By 12 p.m. of the same day, another P75,000 was wired to a certain Fernando Soriano Ocampo with address in Imus, Cavite. And another P35,000 was sent to Ocampo also through Western Union.
Golez informed Tebe that a certain Doctor Zuniega is the one attending her husband in Dubai.
The victim did not receive any call from the suspect after sending the money to the persons he referred.
Tebe then called her husband in Dubai to check if he is doing okay and told her about the information relayed to her by Golez. To her surprise her husband said that he did not get into a fight nor does he need medical attention.
While, Lacson received a call from Golez while she was attending a funeral of her neighbor at the Rolling Hills Cemetery in Barangay Estefania last June 24.
Golez demanded for P24,000 for the medical treatment of her husband, Eugenio Lacson, who reportedly killed his co-worker.
The suspect informed Lacson that a certain Dr. Fred Oribe from Puerto Princesa, Palawan, was attending to her husband in Manila.
Lacson immediately wired the amount to a certain Pete Lowell Stone of Dasmariñas, Cavite.
She said that it was too late when she knew that nothing had happened to her husband.
She then reported the incident at the Police Station 4 of the same day.
Bacolod City Police Office Director Pedro Merced said this modus operandi were used before.
His advise is: "The victims should verify first the report before entertaining the demand of the suspect."
He advised Bacolodnons to seek police assistance if they encounter the same ploy.
"We will be able to arrest these culprits thru an entrapment operation but the would-be victims should have at first coordinated with the police," said Merced.
Arnaldo Arguelles, money transfer operator, said that the money can be received immediately by the receiver once the money has been transferred.
Arguelles said that they are asking valid identification card from the sender or the receiver who wish to send or get their money from any money transfer outlets in the country.
Meanwhile, Governor Joseph Marañon cautioned spouses and kins of Overseas Filipino Workers (OFW) against con men swindling thousands of cash from the unsuspecting victims.
Marañon said that those who are likely to be victimized, should also opt for the safest way of remitting their money and recommend bank to bank transfer.
He added that relatives of OFWs should be careful with the money that their loved ones had worked for and advised also the OFWs to be extra careful in conducting business with other persons.
Punishment
Under Presidential Decree No. 1689, any person or persons who shall commit estafa or other forms of swindling as defined in Article 315 and 316 of the Revised Penal Code, shall be punished by life imprisonment to death if the swindling (estafa) is committed by a syndicate consisting of five or more persons formed with the intention of carrying out the unlawful or illegal act, transaction, enterprise or scheme, and the defraudation results in the misappropriation of money contributed by stockholders, or members of rural banks, cooperative, "samahang nayon(s)", or farmers association, or of funds solicited by corporations/associations from the general public.
When not committed by a syndicate as above defined, the penalty imposable shall be reclusion temporal to reclusion perpetua if the amount of the fraud exceeds P100,000. (With reports from Genalin D. Ducay)
(June 30, 2006 issue)
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