2 women nabbed for using fake bills

CEBU, Philippines — Two women who allegedly used counterfeit money in buying assorted food items at the public market in Barangay Poblacion, Ronda, Cebu got arrested Tuesday evening.

The suspects were identified as Jennifer Señar, 42 years old, a resident of Longos, Bulacan, and Ahli Ramirez Sucayan, 35 years old, from Barangay Bagong Silang, Caloocan City.

The victims who complained to the police were Marissa Ogario, stall owner, resident of Barangay Poblacion, and Roela Alcazaren, stall owner and resident of Barangay Butong, Ronda.

In the report of the Ronda Municipal Police Station, the suspects allegedly paid P1,000 for one kilogram of liver and gizzard, as well as liempo, but the shopkeeper got suspicious and hesitated to accept the bill.

The shopkeeper allegedly screamed and asked for help, which resulted in a commotion at the public market.

The policemen who were manning the public market noticed the commotion, and arrested Señar and Sucayan.

Señar allegedly had three fake P1,000 bills, while Sucayan had two fake bills of the same denomination.

Police Major Mariegin Encio, Public Information Officer of the Cebu Police Provincial Office (CPPO), said the two women arrived in Cebu four days ago.

The Ronda Municipal Police Station is now coordinating with the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG)-7 which arrested a 50-year-old man who was reportedly selling fake money in Barangay Pasil, Cebu City to check if they are connected.

“Hopefully dili, pero under investigation pa kung connected ba ang operation,” Encio said.

The CCPO has also alerted all the police stations in the Province of Cebu about this modus operandi.

The police learned that the arrested individuals were roaming in the areas belonging to the seventh district of Cebu Province.

“Gihangyo namo ang tanang Sugbuanon kanang lalo na ang katong mga business establishments nga magbinantayon especially sa mga fake money nga possibly nga naay other provinces or something nga motira dinhi sa atoa,” Encio said.

The two women are scheduled to be charged with violation of Article 168 of the Revised Penal Code.

Meanwhile, the Cebu City Police Office (CCPO) is also continuing to monitor these people who sell and make counterfeit money because they have received information that someone is still doing this illegal act.

CCPO Director, Police Colonel Ireneo Dalogdog, asked the people to learn how to distinguish a fake bill from a real one.

Dalogdog explained some of the methods to know if the money is real is to feel the texture of the money if it has rough security paper, embossed print and Raised Tactile Marks (Enhanced New Generation Currency or eNGC banknotes).

One may also look at the following security features when inspecting money such as watermark or shadow image of the portrait, security fibers, security thread, asymmetric serial number, see-through mark.

Tilt the money to check the following security features such as windowed security thread, concealed numerical value, optically variable ink, optically variable device patch, and enhanced value panel.

“Pahimangno sa katawhan sa siyudad sa Sugbo katong fake money ginagamit ni siya sa mga gagmay nga mga tindahan mopalit ni sila didto sa mga merkado, sa mga sari-sari store unya ang ilaha pud amount nga ilahang gipalit ginagmay ra P50, P100 kay kadtong kambiyo ato mao toy ilahang ginansiya sa pagpamaligya or paggamit aning fake money,” said Dalogdog.

He added that fraudsters don't buy in malls because they have the capacity to recognize fake money using a machine.

Dalogdog added that fake money normally comes out when there are big occasions like Christmas, Sinulog and elections.

The CIDG-Visayas Field Unit 7 Operation and Detection Section, for its part, has seized P55,500 worth of counterfeit money from a 50-year-old man during an entrapment operation in Sitio Mahayahay Barangay Pasil, Cebu City Monday afternoon.

The suspect was identified Mario Manga Pazon, a resident of Barangay Poblacion, Lapu-Lapu City.

Authorities has recovered 41 fake P500 bills, 35 fake P1,000 bills and one real P1,000 bill that was used as buy bust money were recovered.

The suspect allegedly will sell the P500 bill for P25 and the fake P1,000 bill for P50.

Case investigator, Police Corporal Jan Cyril Agonia, said that Pazon vehemently denied that he was the one who made the fake money because he allegedly only took it.

“Ang iyang giingon nga naa daw tighimo ana pero wala pa siya motug-an kung kinsa, mao na among gi-imbestigar pa sir kung mosulti ba gyud ni siya kung kinsa nang iyang giingon nga tag-iya sa fake nga kwarta,” said Agonia. –/GAN (FREEMAN)