Fake PNP general, colonel nabbed for illegal recruitment

CAMP VICENTE LIM, Laguna — A fake Philippine National Police (PNP) general and colonel with their female cohort were nabbed by operatives of the Rizal-Criminal Investigation and Detection Unit for allegedly duping applicants for non-existent jobs abroad in exchange for large sums of money during the entrapment operation in barangay Tibagin, Hagonoy, Bulacan, Tuesday morning.

Chief Inspector Omega Jireh Fidel, Deputy Regional Officer of CIDU4, identified the suspects as Eladio Lopez; alias Gen. Lopez; Faustino Cerezo, alias Col. Corezo and one Emy Joloya, residing in Tanay, Rizal. Fidel said that no such names as Gen. Lopez and Col. Cerezo exist in the record of the PNP conducted by Division Personnel and the Record Management of the PNP and other concerned agencies.

Police have filed appropriate criminal charges against the suspects as they were brought to 402nd CIDT.

The victims were identified as Myra Coloma, 38, Jennifer Malong and Benjamin Puzon, all of Rosales, Pangasinan. They were told to pay P80,000 as placement fees for prospective jobs in Stockton, California, USA.

According to Chief Inspector Roger James Brillantes, Rizal-Provincial Officer, sometime in the first week of July, one of the suspects, Emy Joloya of Fairview, Quezon City went to Rizal and she recruited 88 applicants, including three businesswomen. Brillantes said the victims were told to prepare an initial amount of P20,000 each for the processing of their documents to be given to Lopez once they meet in Hagonoy, Bulacan.

During the meeting with Lopez at barangay Tibagin Honogoy, Bulacan, in August, Lopez promised the applicants that within three days they would be able to leave for the US.

After a few days, the suspects were nowhere to be found prompting the complainants to report the incident to the Philippine Overseas Employment Agency (POEA) and Rizal-CIDG.