Swindler's list: Charges filed vs. seven con artists

CEBU, Philippines - Criminal charges were already filed yesterday afternoon against three swindlers who were caught by the security operatives of a mall located in the North Reclamation Area, Cebu City on Saturday.

A similar case is also set to be filed today against the four other swindlers who duped an Overseas Filipino Worker of his P1 million cash.

The first case was filed before the Regional Trial Court against suspects Jaymar Palmeras, 18, of Bato, Leyte; Charlyn Paring, 39, a native of Trinte, Poblacion Agusan del Sur and Elizabeth Delima, 54, of Sto, Niño, Valencia, Ormoc.

Suspects were caught by mall security while trying to victimize two college students named Kimberly Joy Zabala, 18, of A. Lopez, Katipunan Labangon, Cebu City and Beauty Ann Marie Angon, 18, of Yati Liloan, Cebu City, both 3rd year finance students in one of the universities in the city.

Zabala alleged that she was only waiting for her classmates in the said mall when Paring suddenly approached her, asking were she could rent a v-hire for their vegetable deliveries.

Before leaving, Paring allegedly forced Zabala to put her P23,000 cash inside the bag of the latter.

Fortunately, the mall’s undercover security personnel who noticed Paring’s suspicious movements tailed them until they were apprehended outside the mall together with her cohort Delima and their look-out Palmeras.

Paring reportedly admitted that they really planned to victimize the students to earn a living and support her four children. She said they were trained in Manila for four days before they were sent to Cebu.

Investigators disclosed that suspects were members of the “Bodul-Bodul” gang.

In the other case, Chief Inspector Bonifacio Garciano, chief of the Investigation and Detective Management Branch of the Cebu City Police Office, said they failed to file the case yesterday due to an operation in relation to the case.

The police conducted follow-up operations on an alleged member of the group yesterday afternoon at a fast food chain in Cebu province.

Charges will be filed against Herman Gaganti, 49, of Cagayan De Oro; Mario Gamayon, 45, of Quiot, Pardo, Cebu City; Samuel Tulo, of Roxas City 46, and Luisito Manuyag, 47, of Caloocan City.

They were arrested Sunday morning in a restaurant at the Plaza Independencia with the cooperation of the victim Mario Quiatan, 40, of Mahayahay, Talisay City who reported to the police station after realizing he has fallen victim to a scam.

Instead of entering a good business, Quiatan said he lost his P1 million cash in exchang for alum powder or “tawas” from the suspects.

Gamayon allegedly befriended Quiatan pretending that his acquaintance is interested to buy his house which was advertised on a newspaper.

The suspects then introduced to Quiatan their product as an ingredient for lubricants and used in separating dirt from gasoline. They also explained it as a networking type of business.

After several transactions, the suspects then introduced a Turkish national to the victim. The victim was told that the Turkish national is a buyer of the product and that they want the victim to supply him.

According to the police, Quiatan first supplied P10,000 worth of the product to the Turkish national, then P20,000 until the alleged Turkish buyer placed an order of P2 million worth of the same.

Quiatan said he was really enticed by the suspects prompting him to pawn his house and lot to a friend to pay the P1 million worth of products.

“Sabi kasi nila the product is also used in Dubai at kailangan ng sabi nilang Dr. Mohammed Al Habtor,” he said. The victim allegedly handed over the P1 million cash to the suspects inside a mall in Barangay Mabolo in September 6 but after the transaction, all of the suspects were never seen.

He said, he tried to contact Gamayon but the latter only said, “trabaho lang walang personalan.” 

Senior Supt. Melvin Ramon Buenafe, city director of the CPPO, is calling on all the victims of the group to appear before their office and identify the suspects for the filing of additional charges. (FREEMAN)