Woman nabbed inside cemetery

ILOILO CITY, Philippines – A cemetery arrest was made last Tuesday against a woman who has an arrest warrant for illegal recruitment and estafa.

The suspect, 50-year-old Melanie Magcanam of Barangay Ungka in Jaro district of this city, was collared by the police while visiting the graves of relatives at the Christ the King Memorial Park, also located in the same barangay.

Members of the Jaro Police Station accosted Magcanam and served the arrest warrants against her for four counts of estafa, and one count each of illegal recruitment and illegal recruitment by syndicate.

The estafa charges are docketed as Criminal Case No. 06-3497 with P80,000 bailbond recommended; CC No. 06-3496 with P22,000 bailbond;, CC No. 06-3495 with P34,000 bailbond; and CC No. 06-3494 with P40,000 bailbond.

Her illegal recruitment charge is docketed as CC No. 06-3503 with P24,000 bailbond while her illegal recruitment by syndicate charge, docketed as CC No. 06-3550 has no bailbond set for her temporary liberty.

Judge Gerardo Diaz of the Regional Trial Court Branch 68 in Dumangas, Iloilo issued the arrest warrants on September 4, 2007.

Senior Supt. Euje Joseph Almaquer, Jaro Police chief, said the police have no other recourse but to arrest Magcanam at the cemetery during All Saints’ Day observance.

“We’ve been monitoring her for two months but we could not find her. We deemed that she might visit her relatives on November 1 and it could be a perfect timing for us,” Almaquer said.

Almaquer said his office got the information that Magcanam has been hiding in Manila after her arrest warrants were issued years ago.

Magcanam previously co-owned Roma Travel and Tours, located at Pototan town in Iloilo with a branch at Barangay Tabuc Suba in Jaro district. The business was used in her alleged illegal recruitment activity, according to police reports.

She is presently detained for proper disposition of her case. - THE FREEMAN