3 caught in Cebu raids for alleged violation of Access Devices Act

CEBU — The Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) has arrested three people during simultaneous raids in the cities of Cebu and Lapu-Lapu for allegedly violating the Access Devices Act.

The three – Ana Marie Litrada of RDP Marine Telecom Management, Ailyn Cuevas of Zenith Telecommunications, and Elmer Cabarrubias of Sealand Telecommunications – were arrested by virtue of a search warrant issued by Judge Ireneo Lee Gako Jr.

Their arrest stemmed from a complaint lodged by Globe Telecom with the CIDG last June 8 accusing the three companies of violating the Access Devices Act.

Jerome Yntig, Globe Telecom external affairs head for the Visayas and Mindanao, said the firms, which are their regular subscribers, paid only the monthly amortization of P400 for residential and P700 for business connections.

But once they had installed a landline, they then allegedly engaged in facilitating long-distance calls for overseas Filipino workers who wanted to contact their families in the Philippines.

Under normal circumstances, Yntig said the calls would supposedly pass through the international gateway facility using Globelines, but because these firms have a converter, the calls are only reflected as domestic calls, enabling them to pay Globe Telecom P400 or P700 every month.

However, the firms allegedly charged their clients the regular rates for international calls, thus defrauding Globe Telecom millions of pesos.

Yntig said the illegal transactions were recently discovered due to excessive calls made by the three companies even during unusual hours.

According to him, the simultaneous raids were the first major operation in the Philippines as far as Globe Telecom is concerned.

Litrada’s office reportedly operates two branches in Cebu – one along Pelaez street and another on Sanciangko street.

Cabarrubias said they have been in operation since 1989 under the name Manila Marine, which was changed to Sealand Telecommunications in 1995.

Zenith Telecommunications has three branches: Mahayahay Road, Bangkal; Pusok, Lapu-Lapu City; and Sanciangko st., Cebu City.

Cuevas, who is in charge of the billing and collection for Zenith Telecommunications, expressed surprised over the raid, claiming that they have the necessary papers issued by the National Telecommunications Commission.

Lawyer Isidoro Atoc, the legal counsel of the accused, told The Freeman that he would file a motion to quash the search warrant because his clients did not violate the law and have the necessary licenses from the NTC.

Atoc said the respondents should not have been the ones arrested because they were mere employees since the alleged violation was only against their companies.

The Access Devices Regulation Act is the law regulating the issuance and use of access devices. — Freeman News Service