Man tries to encash stolen check, nabbed

CEBU, Philippines - A 32-year-old man who tried to encash a check he earlier stole ended up being arrested on Tuesday inside a bank in Colon Street, Cebu City.

Suspect Albert “Mark” Tumagna, a native of Dipolog City who resides in Alaska, Barangay Mambaling, even called himself dumb for attempting to encash the check that bears the name of Eugene Abello.

Chief Inspector David Señor, chief of Fuente Police Station, said the suspect went to BPI Family Savings Bank along Colon Street at around 12:30 p.m. on Tuesday bringing with him the check worth P13,600.

The bank teller called up the name on the check and was told by Abello, the owner himself, to cancel it since it was stolen from him.

Abello has filed a report at Fuente Police Station that at around 5:30 a.m. on October 8, he was inside Chiong Hua Hospital when he noticed that his iPhone was missing.

He said he had fallen asleep while watching over his wife who was hospitalized at that time.

He further found out that his other phone was also missing, as well as his P6,500 cash, driver’s license, SSS Identification Card, BPI ATM Card, and BPI cash check worth P13,600.

After receiving the call from the bank, Abello coordinated with the police, who then arrested the suspect.

At the police station, the suspect, who allegedly only finished elementary education, was heard saying “Sus, bogo-a nako,” while Señor narrated to the reporters what the suspect did.

According to Tumagna, he was advised to go somewhere to have the check encashed, but he still opted to go to the bank.

He first went to a BPI branch at Carbon Market but was told that the account belongs to BPI Family Savings Bank, prompting him to proceed to the said branch along Colon.

The police conducted a follow-up operation at the suspect’s boarding house where Abello’s mobile phones and IDs were recovered.

The police said the suspect has been stealing things from hospital rooms when nobody is watching or if the patient and the watcher are sleeping.

The suspect apologized to his victims, saying he committed the crime to support his five children.

He is now detained and will be facing charges. — (FREEMAN)