Couple nabbed for fake bills

BACOLOD CITY, Philippines — Police arrested a couple for allegedly circulating fake money in Murcia town of Negros Occidental.

Leopoldo Gallego, 61, and his wife Sarah Gallego, 51, of Brgy. Mambulac in Silay City are facing charges for illegal possession and use of false treasury or bank notes before the Negros Occidental Provincial Prosecutor's Office.

Senior Insp. Edencio Gregorio, Murcia Police chief, said the suspects were arrested Friday in Brgy. San Miguel after a concerned citizen reported that the couple was buying items from several stores in the barangay using allegedly fake P500 bills.

Duty investigator SPO3 Ranilo Mercurio said two P500 bills suspected to be fake were recovered from the Gallego couple during their arrest.

Gregorio said two complainants were able to identify the couple at the Murcia Police station, as the same persons who purchased items from their stores, using alleged fake money bills.

Renante Maquilan, 61, of Brgy. Zone 1 in Murcia, and Rona de la Torre, of Brgy. Salvacion, told the police that the couple, who were on a motorcycle, gave him the bills when buying some items from their stores.

The suspects, however, insisted that they did not know the bills they were using to buy the items were fake.

The seized bills have already been submitted to the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas for authentication, police said. — THE FREEMAN