CEBU, Philippines – The 77-year-old aunt of Consolacion Mayor Teresa Alegado lost at least P1 million worth of jewelries Tuesday afternoon to a man and a woman, who allegedly pretended to be a friend of the victim’s son.
Concepcion Maglasang, of Poblacion Oriental, Consolacion, was victimized by alleged members of a “Budol-Budol” gang.
According to Police Officer 1 Socrates Borinaga, case investigator, Maglasang was on her way to a mall in Consolacion.
When she disembarked from the tricycle in front of a fast food outlet near the mall, a man and a woman, who appeared to be a couple, allegedly approached her.
The man allegedly introduced himself as a friend of Maglasang’s son, who just arrived from the US.
“Naka-mention man pud sa ngalan sa iyang anak unya nakahibawo sad kung asa nag-eskuwela sauna. Kay classmate lagi kuno sila. Mao na nga nakatoo pud gyud ang biktima,” said Borinaga.
Borinaga said the man allegedly told Maglasang that he has gifts for her placed inside his car. The man then directed Maglasang to their car parked at an area just near the mall.
Inside the car, Maglasang saw boxes, which she assumed as branded items from the US. She also saw three other men inside the car.
The man then allegedly told Maglasang to let them see her jewelry items and they will give P3,000 for every item that will be shown to them. The man also allegedly told Maglasang to bring her passbook and withdraw all her money then they will give her P500,000.
“Mao lagi akong giingnan nga wala ba siya nagduda. Kay kinsa man tawhana motan-aw lang sa imong alahas unya hatagan na ka og P3,000. Unya pa-withdraw-hon og kuwarta para hatagan og tunga sa milyon?,” said Borinaga.
However, since she was enticed by the offer, Maglasang went home and got all her 18 jewelries worth around a million pesos.
Borinaga said Maglasang then presented her jewelry items to the man and woman, who placed the jewelries inside a pouch. After checking the items, the suspects gave the pouch back to her.
Borinaga said the victim then went to the bank to withdraw her money, also around P1 million.
However, Maglasang was held by the bank’s management who noticed that the amount she wanted to withdraw was too big.
“Iya pa gyud lagi unta nga i-withdraw. Maayo gani kuno kay na-hold kay makuha pud unta to ang P1 million niya ato,” said Borinaga.
He said it was when Maglasang found out that what’s inside the pouch were already bundles of paper and not her jewelries. When she went back to see the five persons, they were already gone.
“Mura’g duha man gud na ka-pouch nga pareha og porma ba. Gilipat ra siguro to siya. Ang kato pouch nga gibutangan sa iyang alahas, gilipat ra og hatag sa lain,” he said.
Borinaga said after receiving the report, they immediately went to the area where the transaction happened. However, no closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras were installed nearby that may have captured the transaction.
Borinaga said they also went to the fast-food restaurant where the man approached Maglasang, but the management would not let them view the CCTV footage unless court order would be provided.
Borinaga said this has affected their investigation since they have a hard time getting a lead on the identity of the swindlers. — Ma. Fatima R. Secuya/ATO (FREEMAN)