NBI nabs overstaying, non-paying Dutchman

A Dutch national, claiming to be a retired Marine general, has been arrested by elements of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) for allegedly failing to pay his P304,000 hotel bill in Makati City.

NBI Director Nestor Mantaring said they also found out that 42-year-old Jean Pierre de Bruijn was an overstaying alien.

De Bruijn slipped out of his rented room at the City Garden Hotel on Makati Avenue, in Makati without paying his bill, which reached P304,096.44 for his almost two months stay.

The Dutchman checked in at the hotel on June 11 and made a P10,000 down payment. On Aug. 3, the hotel management informed him that his bill reached P243,819.24 and requested that he settle it immediately.

On Aug. 10, the hotel bill went up to P279,637.44, but still, no payment was made. Last Aug. 19, when his bill has reached P304,096.44, a member of the hotel staff decided to visit him in his room and was surprised to find it empty.

The suspect had slipped out, taking his bags with him.

This prompted hotel management to seek the assistance of the NBI-NCR Director Ruel Lasala.

Supervising Agent Rommel Vallejo, NBI-NCR executive officer, said it took them three days to locate the Dutchman. De Bruijn was staying with his girlfriend, a certain Lucy, at a shanty in Barangay Comembo, Makati City.

Mantaring said their Interpol Division has been coordinating with the Consular Office of the Dutch Embassy to find out if the suspect was indeed connected with the armed forces of the Netherlands.

Vallejo said he was able to talk to the Consular Office of the Dutch Embassy who said he doubted that he was a real general. "If Mr. De Bruijn retired two years ago, he would have been 40 years old then, which is too young to retire from military service," he said.

A check with the records of the Bureau of Immigration (BI) revealed that the Dutchman arrived in the Philippines last May 6 and was a tourist for 18 days.

He later asked for an extension and was allowed to stay until July 6.

However, after the period lapsed, he was no longer given a subsequent extension. De Bruijn said that he failed to pay for his hotel room because his pension was delayed. He also plans to marry a Filipina and permanently stay in the country.

The NBI filed estafa charges against the Dutchman with the Makati City Prosecutor’s Office.