2 MEPZ workers cheated of their money, phones

CEBU, Philippines - Two women duped two other women who were about to report for work yesterday morning in barangay Tabok, Mandaue City into giving up their money and cellular phones.

Jemelyn Pailoan, 22, of barangay Tabok, Mandaue City and Jofel Arog of Pulpogan, Consolacion town were on their way to work that day at the Mactan Export Processing Zone in Lapu-Lapu City when two women asked for help to locate a house for rent.

SPO1 Renato Canja of the Casuntingan police station said that while Pailoan and Arog were on the roadside, a woman allegedly approached them and asked whether they knew where exactly a house for rent owned by a Martinez family was in sitio Sudlon in barangay Maguikay.

As the woman was talking, another woman joined the conversation and offered to help locate the house.

For unknown reasons, Pailoan and Arog were persuaded to go with the two women.

The group boarded a jeepney and when they reached sitio Sudlon, one of the women told Pailoan and Arog to stay behind while they looked for the house and were also told they were leaving behind a sock with some money inside it to them for safekeeping.

They said they wanted to be sure the two women won't run away with their money and asked for their phones and money as guarantee.

Pailoan turned over P500 and a Cherry Mobile phone worth P1,400 while Arog turned over P1,000 and her My Phone cellular phone worth P3,200.

As soon as the women got the money and phones, they left hurriedly.

When Pailoan and Arog got tired of waiting for the return of the two women, they looked into the sock only to find pieces of paper.

They went to the police and checked the Rogues' Gallery and discovered that one of the women who duped them was a Marissa Hernandez, a native of Carmen town, who is facing a swindling case, SPO1 Canja said.

Canja said a swindling case was immediately filed against Hernandez and her cohort. (FREEMAN)