Bogus lawyer faces estafa raps in court

After pretending to be lawyer and demanding P1 million from a client for an annulment case, Herade Oropel could not help but cry after a case of estafa was filed against him in court.

Cebu City prosecutor Nicolas Sellon approved the filing of the case for estafa against Oropel yesterday afternoon following inquest proceedings conducted by assistant city prosecutor Gilbert Batayola.

The prosecutor has recommend P40,000 bail for Oropel's temporary liberty.

The National Bureau of Investigation arrested Oropel last Tuesday inside a mall at the North Reclamation Area while in the act of receiving the marked-money from the complainant. The NBI subjected Oropel to an entrapment operation based on a complaint filed by Cheryl Garong Mortenson.

Garong who is married to Michael Mortenson, an American national, sought the help of the NBI after Oropel allegedly have been demanding so much money from her to process her petition for the annulment of marriage.

Garong said she has already given a total of P928,900 to Oropel when she found out that he was not really a lawyer. According to Garong, Oropel collected the amount from her since August 2003 to November 2005.

She said that she already sensed something fishy when Oropel again demanded P200,000 from her on January 5. On March 29, Oropel again called Garong to ask for P45,000 to be used allegedly in making follow-ups in Manila for her annulment case. It was then that Garong decided to have the suspect arrested by the NBI.

Oropel cried at the prosecutor's office yesterday after receiving a call from his mother, who was celebrating her birthday. He also failed to attend the graduation of his daughter last Tuesday because he was arrested. - Fred P. Languido