3 more complainants vs "swindlers"

CEBU, Philippines - Three more complainants surfaced yesterday against two suspected members of a Budol-budol gang who were arrested by the police Monday afternoon.

Delma Espataleon, 35; Niña Discartin, 22 and a 65-year-old woman met for the first time yesterday morning after they all fell victim to Susan Alvarado, 52, of Sito Kamote Looc, Mandaue City, and Karen Urot, 39, of Sitio San Jose Catmon, Cebu for swindling.

They saw the suspects in the local news.

All three victims said the suspects asked for help as they were supposedly looking for a store in the city, which turned out fictitious. Espataleon said she met the suspect late last month near a university at Barangay Basak, Pardo where she lost around P4,000 cash.

She said she was shown a bag of cash reportedly amounting to P30, 000 in exchange for helping the suspect look for the store and for a place to stay.

“Maayo kaayo sila mo-estorya. Mura ko nila'g gi-hypnotize mao nga ilang nakuha akong kwarta," she said. (It seemed they hypnotized me.)

Discartin and the 65-year-old woman also lost a total of P33,000 cash in different swindling incidents in May 13 and 4.

Jayanna Lou Yanoc was the last victim on Monday at Escario St., Barangay Capitol Site.

The two suspects were arrested by two traffic enforcers who saw the suspects running towards their direction. Minutes later, Yanoc approached the two traffic enforcers and asked for help.

This prompted the two traffic enforcers to run after the suspects and arrested them.

Only Yanoc's personal things were recovered expect for her wallet which contained P20,000 cash. Urot and Alvarado, who admitted that they did the crime, will face multiple counts of estafa. — (FREEMAN)