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Thursday, October 20, 2005
Cop, 5 cohorts in P5 million swindle
By Jovy S. Taghoy
CEBU CITY -- A policeman assigned to the Talisay City Police Station and his five cohorts were arrested last Tuesday afternoon, for allegedly selling a fake golden Buddha to a Manila-based businesswoman.
Arrested during an entrapment by the Regional Intelligence and Investigation Division (RIID) was SPO2 Benjamin Delfin, 49, a member of the alert team of the Talisay City Police Station.
Delfin denied any involvement in the transaction.
But RIID Chief Augusto Marquez Jr. said that according to their information, the arrested policeman is the protector and could be "the big boss" of the group in Cebu.
Caught along with Delfin were the couple Antonio, 58, and Roselyn Mariano, 45, of Barangay Buwak, Bogo, Cebu; Eupretes Reyes, 48, of Pardo, Cebu City; and cousins Joseph Abrigon-don, 27, and Benedicto Ocariza, 37, both from Losimba, Pardo.
Marquez described the arrested suspects as members of a large-scale swindling group, citing reports that they also operated in Northern Mindanao, other parts of the Visayas and in Metro Manila.
He said the entrapment was conducted after businesswoman Teresita See and her son William sought their assistance.
She paid P5 million for a "golden Buddha" last month that turned out to be a fake. The statue weighed more than 20 kilos and was about eight inches tall, said Marquez.
An identical statue was seized by the RIID operatives during the entrapment at 4 p.m. Tuesday near a gasoline station in Barangay Basak, Cebu City.
Police Regional Office (PRO) 7 Director Eduardo Gador presented the arrested suspects, including Delfin, before journalists Wednesday.
See and her son, however, declined to be interviewed.
Gold dust
Based on the information relayed by Teresita, Marquez said, the victim arrived in Cebu last Sept. 28 after one of the members of the group, later identified as Roselyn, enticed her to buy a golden Buddha.
Teresita was convinced that the statue was genuine because she saw gold dust scraped from it, which a jewelry shop in Cebu City later confirmed was 21-karat gold.
The suspects allegedly asked for P10 million, but Teresita haggled for P5 million because that was the only money she had during the transaction.
The suspects eventually agreed. After handing over P5 million cash, Teresita flew back to Manila.
In Manila, Marquez said, William brought the statue to a shop to have it examined again.
This time, the appraiser told William that the statue had no gold content.
Teresita called up Roselyn and complained about the fake item.
Roselyn allegedly admitted to Teresita that the statue was a fake and that they had the genuine one.
Extra cash
Roselyn then allegedly told Teresita to return to Cebu and get the genuine golden Buddha, on the condition that she had to pay P1 million extra.
Teresita and William arrived in Cebu City last Oct. 17 and met with the suspects in a fast food chain on Colon St., where the victims gave P100,000.
Teresita and William were told to see the suspects again last Tuesday afternoon in another fast food chain in Barangay Basak, for the final payment of P900,000.
It was during this time that the victim sought the assistance of the police.
Instead of meeting in a fast food chain in Basak, the suspects changed the venue and named an area near a gasoline station in Basak.
The suspects, including Delfin, were arrested just as Roselyn was about to receive the money.
But Delfin, when sought for comment Wednesday, said he was with the group only because Abrigondon and Ocariza, who are his relatives, asked him to be there.
Surprised
He said he was surprised when the RIID operatives suddenly collared him and the other suspects.
Delfin claimed he is "a good policeman" and would never engage in any illegal activities.
Roselyn, in a separate interview, denied they received P100,000 from Teresita last Oct. 17.
She washed her hands of the P5-million deal, saying that it was a certain Gina who received the money and that she only served as the agent.
She said they did not receive a single peso from the reported P5-million deal.
A criminal case of large-scale estafa will be filed against the six arrested suspects, while Delfin will also be investigated administratively by the PRO 7. (Sun.Star Cebu)
(October 19, 2005 issue)
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