Marikina mayor warns vs counterfeit dollars

With Christmas only a month away, Marikina City Mayor Maria Lourdes Fernando warned the public yesterday against a possible proliferation of counterfeit dollar bills in Metro Manila, especially in shopping malls, commercial centers and flea markets.

Fernando issued the warning following the arrest of 46-year-old Jesus Torres for allegedly distributing fake $100 bills to a retired US Army personnel planning to settle in America with his family.

"The public should buy their dollars in the bank to evade being victimized by people like Torres," said Fernando.

Fernando and Superintendent Sotero Ramos Jr., Marikina City police chief, presented Torres, a resident of Sikatuna Village, Quezon City, to the media yesterday.

"Hindi ko alam ‘yan (I don’t know anything about that)," Torres said when pressed by Fernando who was his source of the counterfeit dollar bills.

In his report to Fernando, Ramos said Torres along with three others, approached Juan Garcia, 77, at his house last Nov. 15 selling him $100 bills for P4,900 per piece. Garcia gave P84,000 in exchange for 14 $100 bills.

"They promised to come back because they were $200 short," Garcia related.

According to Garcia, they were converting their pesos for dollars because he and his family were planning to settle permanently in the United States.

But on the following day, Garcia said he almost fainted when informed by tellers at a Philippine National Bank branch in Barangay Sta. Elena that the dollars handed him by Torres were fake when he was depositing them.

Garcia made a report to the police and Sotero formed a team led by Inspector Jose Salazar, head of the local police criminal investigation division, to look for the suspects.

At 5 p.m. last Monday, Torres called up Garcia saying he would hand over their $200 they owed him at his house in Barangay Marikina Heights.

Salazar and his men moved in and collared Torres after the latter handed over the bills to Garcia. Torres did not resist arrest.

Fernando congratulated Ramos for the arrest.

"There are a lot of people like Torres who are going around Metro Manila because of the holidays," she said as she urged the public to be extra careful when people approach them about money.

Police are preparing to file charges against Torres.