Palace of Justice exec, lawyer sued for estafa

The building administrator of the Palace of Justice, a lawyer, and two others were charged with estafa by falsification of public documents for allegedly conniving to swindle an overseas Filipino worker over the purchase of a lot.

The National Bureau of Investigation yesterday filed the case at the Cebu City Prosecutor’s Office against engineer Isagani Saranillo, lawyer Marlon Cabilan, and two others named Herbert and Peterlene.

The complainant is Saranillo’s cousin, Romulo Rodger Enojardo, who has been working as a waiter in the United States and had wanted to buy a residential lot in Cebu City for his retirement home.

Enojardo complained to the NBI that he was allegedly swindled by over P1 million by his cousin Saranillo, building administrator of the Palace of Justice, and the other respondents.

He said that sometime in September 2005, he told Saranillo of his intention to buy a lot in the city in preparation for his coming home from the U.S. after he retires from his job. 

Sometime in January 2006, Saranillo allegedly told him about a 434-square meter lot located at Jamesville Subdivision in barangay Lahug that was for sale at P2.5 million. Saranillo allegedly told him the lot could be bought by installment because it is managed by his lawyer-friend, Cabilan.

Enojardo narrated that he haggled for the price and was able to reduce it to P2 million, which was even payable within two years. He alleged that Saranillo asked for an earnest money amounting to P100,000 that was sent via Western Union on January 16, 2006.

On January 29, 2006, Enojardo received the certified “true copy” of the documents of the property he supposedly bought from lot owner Herbert Bautista including the absolute deed of sale, which were sent by Saranillo.

Two months later, Saranillo informed Enojardo that the owner of the lot needs P250,000 for medicine, and even told him to talk to lawyer Cabilan about it through the numbers given him. Enojardo said that, after talking to Cabilan, he sent the amount again via Western Union.

Four months later, another P50,000 was demanded from Enojardo until his payment reached a total of P900,000 excluding the P100,000 in total payment for the services of the courier.

Enojardo added that he also gave Saranillo P100,000 to buy filling materials for the lot, and P300,000 more for the processing of the transfer of the “bought” property to his name.

Saranillo and Cabilan, however, allegedly failed to effect the transfer of ownership of the lot, and this caused Enojardo to begin his suspicion, and force him to go home to Cebu to verify the status of the purchase.

It was then that he found out that he bought a property that was never sold by the owner, Herbert Bautista. This prompted Enojardo to go to Surigao City and talked to Bautista who in turn told him that the lot in Cebu City was not for sale.

Further investigation revealed that the signature of Bautista in the supposed absolute deed of sale was forged.

NBI supervising agent Rennan Oliva also found out that Cabilan has no authority from the Supreme Court to notarize the documents. Enojardo was left with no other recourse but to seek the help of the NBI, which assisted him in the filing of the case. — Fred P. Languido/RAE