ANGELES CITY -- Two men were recently arrested and charged in court by the police for allegedly using a counterfeit P1,000 bill, at a grocery store in Barangay Balibago here.
Suspects Roberto Mira Umbao, 48, of Riverside, San Bartolome, Novaliches, Quezon City and Rolando Aquino Tanglao, alias Puti, 57, of Paliparan Street, Barangay 2, Marikina City yielded 16 pieces of fake currency of the same denomination when arrested, City Police Director Danilo Bautista said.
Bautista said the suspects bought grocery items worth P105, using one of the counterfeit money they were possessing at Triple A convenience Store located at Don Gueco Street corner Laguna Street at Mountain View Subdivision in the said village.
One of the store owners, Joseph Sanchez, discovered the fake currency only after the suspects left the store.
Sanchez asked his store crew to chase the suspects who were already about to leave the place on board a passenger tricycle.
With the aid from tricycle drivers, the two suspects were held.
When responding policemen and Bantay Bayan members frisked the suspects, they yielded 16 pieces of P1,000 bills.
The suspects were later taken to the Police Station 4 for investigation.
Police Station 4 chief Luisito Tan said that the suspects will be charged before the Office of the City Prosecutor for violation of Article 168 (possession of counterfeit currency) of the Revised Penal Code.
Tan said they will coordinate with the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas in connection with the recovered fake money. (Reynaldo G. Navales)