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Tuesday, November 06, 2007
Teacher arrested for US visa racket
By Rhodamae M. Hernandez
DAVAO CITY –- The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI)-Southern Mindanao arrested a teacher after he was accused of duping three women in a US visa scam.
Jay Bacarenas Zambrano, a non-uniform personnel of the Philippine Public Safety College, was accused by Grace Cardenas, Letecia Sierra, and Judith Paccial of extorting money amounting to P1,320,000.
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The 31-year-old suspect is a resident of Farland Extension in Dumoy, Toril, Davao City.
NBI agent lawyer Arcelito C. Albao said Zambrano recruited the three women allegedly for work in the United States that will also grant them immigrant status.
"The accused (Zambrano) told them that he will be the one to process and facilitate so they can secure a US visa," Albao said.
He said Zambrano required the three women to marry US citizens based in the city and demanded for money in exchange for the US visa.
"I have the marriage contracts from the NSO (National Statistics Office) and I still have to verify if the copies are genuine," he added.
According to Albao, Cardenas was able to give P320,000 and Sierra gave P500,000. Paccial meanwhile gave his house and lot amounting to a total of P500,000. The suspect and his family are now staying at Paccial’s house.
Despite having given their money and house, Zambrano has not been able to produce the promised visas and that even the arranged marriages seem dubious.
"The alleged US citizens were relatives of the accused. Actually, he (Zambrano) has many victims, but these three were the only ones yet who came to us and report this. The complainants went here after the accused demanded an additional amount of P5,000 from them," Albao told Sun.Star Davao.
Albao said one of the complainants told Zambrano that she will pay the amount only if he goes to her house.
"We went to the house with the marked money and arrested Zambrano after the complainant handed him the marked money," Albao said.
The suspect is now detained at the NBI-Southeastern Mindanao Regional Office detention cell and will be facing charges in violation of the Republic Act 8042 otherwise known as the Migrants Workers and Overseas Filipino Act of 1995 and Estafa. (Sun.Star Davao/Sunnex)
For more Philippine news, visit Sun.Star Baguio. (November 6, 2007 issue)
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