Biz permits, TOR's and more: NBI arrests two for faking documents

CEBU, Philippines - The National Bureau of Investigation yesterday busted a group engaged in the manufacture of fake business permits, diplomas, transcripts of records and other public and private documents in an operation yesterday.

After almost a month of surveillance work, the NBI arrested Oliver Rosaopan and Ronnie Primaco during the entrapment operation led by Supervising Agent Rennan Augustus Oliva.

The duo were caught in the act of receiving the P2,500 marked-money as payment for a “business permit” and “transcript of records” that an NBI undercover agent ordered from them on Thursday last week.

The suspects demanded P4,300 as payment for the bogus T.O.R. for a nursing degree at the University of Cebu and P1,500 for the business permit.

NBI operatives made a down payment and promised to pay the P2,500 balance upon pick-up of the documents.

The operation stemmed from a request for investigation from Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña following the discovery of the fake business permits of the five outlets of Kentucky Fried Chicken two weeks ago.

Aside from the city government, UC also acted as complainant upon learning that among the documents faked by the suspects are UC diplomas and transcripts of records.

After placing their order and making the downpayment, the NBI applied for a search warrant for falsification of public documents.

Regional Trial Court Judge Gabriel Ingles issued the search warrant on July 21 against Rosaopan and Primaco for violation of the Article 172 in relation to Article 171 of the Revised Penal Code.

Subject of the search warrant was Revilo’s Signmaster located along Junquera St., barangay Kamagayan, Cebu City which Rosaopan and Primaco both managed.

The NBI immediately served the search warrant after the arrest of the two suspects which resulted in the recovery of several fake documents.

Recovered were forms of the National Statistics Office, tax identification I.D. of the Bureau of Internal Revenue, several business permits, T.O.R from U.C., Southwestern University and University of San Carlos.

There were also diplomas from Zamboanga del Sur Agricultural College, USC, UC and SWU.

The NBI also seized several computer units and a Risograph machine used by the suspects in their illegal operations.

NBI executive officer Ernesto Macabare admitted that Rosaopan and Primaco are part of an organization.

In fact, the fake business permits of the five KFC outlets recently discovered by the Cebu City Government were traced to them.

Macabare said they are still conducting further investigation to look into the possibility that government employees are involved in the operation.

Rosaopan however denied that they are part of an organization.

Although he admitted making fake school records and business permits but he said this they do it only on a case to case basis.

Rosaopan said he makes T.O.R for people begging for help because they want to work abroad.

Mayor Osmeña warned those who are also into faking documents that his men will go after the cheaters.

 He said that there is a continuing operation against those who are cheating in any sense from issuing fake permits to evasion of taxes.

“The city is not trying to cheat on them so please don’t cheat on us, your money does not go to the mayor’s car or the mayor’s office, we will be running after you,” Osmeña said.

He said they are even running against those that are operating legitimately such as the universities and hospitals as well as telecommunications companies for them to pay the right taxes.

Universities and hospitals refused to pay the one percent business tax to the city claiming to be non-profit organizations, a matter which is already pending in the courts.

Telecommunications companies such as Smart and Globe on the other hand earlier refused to pay franchise and realty taxes, but finally agreed to a compromise.

Osmeña gave an order for a more effective and vigilant enforcement of the tax code. — with Ferliza C. Contratista/NLQ (THE FREEMAN)