Herade Oropel, who represented himself as a lawyer, was arrested in an entrapment operation by the National Bureau of Investigation yesterday noon inside a mall at the North Reclamation Area while receiving money from the complainant.
Cheryl Garong sought the help of the NBI after Oropel allegedly demanded so much money from her to process her petition for the annulment of her marriage to a foreigner.
Garong said she has already given more than P900,000 to Oropel until she recently found out that he is not a lawyer. Prior to the entrapment operation yesterday, Oropel allegedly demanded another P45,000 from the complainant which she used to set up the entrapment.
Oropel denied that he presented himself as a lawyer to the complainant, claiming that he is only helping Garong. He said a certain lawyer named Neil Nuñez is actually processing the annulment of the complainant's marriage.
But NBI agents said he claimed to be a lawyer when accosted yesterday. When told that his name does not appear in the roll of attorneys in the Integrated Bar of the Philippines he said that he only graduated law. He did not even know what the roll of attorneys was.
NBI executive officer Ernesto Macabare said that they will most likely file a case of estafa through usurpation of authority against Oropel before the Cebu City Prosecutor's Office today.
Oropel is the fifth fake lawyer to be arrested by the NBI within a month. The NBI earlier arrested "lawyers" Antonio Real, Hilarion Galgo, Antonio Binarao Jr. and Marcelino Inodio during an entrapment operation several weeks ago while performing notarial services along Sanciangko Street.
Real pretended to be Atty. Sergio Monzolin Jr., Galgo as Atty. Patrick Benedicto, Binarao as Atty. Vernardo Saren and Inodio as Atty. Cornelio Anadeo. The four have already been charged with usurpation of authority. - Fred P. Languido