Couple duped of P.3 million ends up in jail

MANILA, Philippines - A retired Valenzuela City couple said they were duped of P300,000 by conmen who issued them counterfeit checks as payment.

Retired seaman Engelberto Bendano and his wife, Teresita, a retired teacher, said they were arrested and jailed after trying to encash the checks at a bank in Bulacan last July 16. They were imprisoned for five days at the Malolos City Jail and were only freed after they posted P24,000 bail.

The Bendanos face charges of falsification of bank notes, and illegal use and possession of spurious checks.

“That was a horrible experience. We lost hard-earned money but the worst was our days in jail,” Bendano told The STAR.

They said that sometime last year, a friend asked for a loan. A few weeks later, the borrower sent a check through a certain Eliza Cruz-Abaya as payment, but the check bounced.

After their release, the couple contacted Abaya and told her the check she brought was already encashed. They enticed the suspect to go to their house Thursday night. Police officers under Northern-Criminal Investigation and Detection Group head Chief Inspector Ruben Lacuesta arrested Abaya there.

Abaya refused to talk to reporters. Police Officer 2 Glenn Umali said they discovered that Abaya’s real name is Rosario Baldomero, 54, of Marilao, Bulacan, who has pending estafa charges at the Valenzuela City prosecutor’s office.

Abaya was charged with large-scale estafa, falsification of bank notes, and concealing her true identity before the Valenzuela City prosecutor’s office. She was charged along with her alleged cohorts Clarissa Ponciano, Leila Enriquez, and Elenita Pangan. No bail was recommended for her temporary liberty.