Swindler ‘colonel’ finally arrested

COTABATO CITY – A professional swindler nearly succeeded in achieving what could have been the highlight of his swindling career by posing as a firearm sales agent in his attempt to dupe a son of Ma—guindanao Gov. Datu Andal Ampatuan Sr.

The suspect, 47-year-old Isidro Fresco, introduced himself as Col. Rolando Soriano, supposedly a brother of Army Col. Essel Soriano, chief of the anti-kidnapping Task Force Cotabato.

Senior Inspector Bahnarin Kamaong, spokesman of the city police, said a neatly dressed Fresco showed up yesterday at the house here of Datu Hofer Ampatuan, introduced himself as Col. Rolando Soriano, and claimed that he was selling firearms.

Fresco, in an apparent bid to win the confidence of the young Ampatuan, also claimed that he was a brother of Army Col. Essel Soriano.

Ampatuan, a gun enthusiast, admitted that Fresco nearly convinced him to shell out P5,000 as initial payment for the processing of documents for a firearm he took a fancy for.

While eavesdropping on the conversation, Ampatuan’s wife, Bai Ingrid, remembered that Soriano, who graduated from the Philippine Military Academy in 1979 and was a principal sponsor in their wedding last April, was an only son.

"So I decided to secretly call our ninong and immediately, he sent his operatives to arrest the man," she told The STAR.

The bemedalled Soriano, also the commanding officer of the Army’s Second Mechanized Infantry Battalion based here, is known in the city’s Muslim and Christian communities as a respectable, polite and friendly officer.

Maj. Julieto Ando, spokesman of the Army’s 6th Infantry Division, said his intelligence men have long been looking for Fresco who, claiming to be a ranking military officer and a member of the government peace panel negotiating with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, has solicited money from several establishments in Maguindanao supposedly for "humanitarian causes."

Ando said Fresco has also introduced himself as a subordinate of Col. Antonio Romero, commander of the Army’s 603rd Infantry Brigade based at Camp Abubakar, the MILF’s former enclave in Buldon, Maguindanao.