Rasuman’s wife moved to NBI

MANILA, Philippines - The wife of a suspected mastermind of an investment scam, arrested Wednesday night, was brought to the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) yesterday morning amid tight security.

Princess Aliah Tomawis Rasuman, wife of prime suspect Jachob “Coco” Rasuman, was cornered at a house she recently rented in Vista Real Executive Village in Quezon City, following four months of surveillance.

Pasay City police chief Senior Superintendent Rodolfo Llorca, NBI security management division head Rodrigo Mapoy, and a dozen Special Weapons and Tactics police officers and NBI personnel escorted Princess Aliah to the NBI at past 11 a.m.

She was wearing a SWAT helmet and covered with a black hijab but was not handcuffed.

Pasay police officers, in coordination with the Quezon City police, served Rasuman an arrest warrant for syndicated estafa issued by a Cagayan de Oro City court.

Llorca, a former provincial police commander of Lanao del Sur, said he has been following the developments in the Rasuman case.

Llorca said the camp of Princess Aliah tried to bribe them with P10 million when the warrant was served but they turned it down.

“We can assure everybody that Princess Aliah will be secured. We can also assure you that there will be no special treatment,” Mapoy said, denying that there were plans to “silently” transfer Princess Aliah from Pasay City to the NBI as early as Friday night.

Jachob was arrested in their residence in Marawi City in November last year for allegedly duping a total of P120 million from those who invested in his car trading firm. Jachob allegedly promised returns of 50 percent to 100 percent.

Several of the couple’s relatives and business associates have been charged with syndicated estafa in connection with the Ponzi-type scheme.    â€“ With Mike Frialde