Woman, 45, arrested for alleged swindling

CEBU, Philippines - A woman from Davao City, who is a member of a gang that swindle people and pension houses, was arrested yesterday in Mandaue City.

Editha Mayola, 45, widow, who temporarily resides in barangay Calerong, Liloan town but a native of Davao City was arrested by operatives of the Opao Police Station for swindling two siblings Thursday.

Mayola, together with two companions, allegedly hired the services of Rene Booc who drives a taxi.

Last Wednesday, Mayola and companions asked Booc to drive them around with the assurance that they would pay him later. They even borrowed P3,300 from Booc’s sister.

Last Thursday morning, Mayola and her companions told Booc to bring them to a mall at the Reclamation Area where they would go to a bank and withdraw money to pay him for their taxi fares and the money that they borrowed from the taxi driver’s sister.

However, after hours of waiting, the group did not show up.

So Booc started to look for them.

He saw Mayola and took her to the Mabolo Police Station which in turn contacted the Opao Police Station.

At the Opao Police station, it was learned that Mayola and her two companions are member of a “Salisi gang” from Davao City who is currently here in Cebu to rob Pension Houses.

Theft and Robbery Section chief P/Insp. Ramil Morpos said the modus operandi of the group is to stay in pension houses for a couple of days and then disappear without paying the bills for their stay.

They also strip their rooms of expensive things.

The police said last February, the group victimized  ROCK3 Pension House in barangay Ibabao. She was positively identified as the woman who negotiated with the front desk and paid with a P40,000 check that bounced.

The group also stole the front desk’s laptop worth P25,000.

Mayola and her group did not pay P7,000 for their stay at Ringtop Pension House in barangay Mabolo, Cebu City.

They also owe Mahusya Pension in barangay Marigondon, Lapu-Lapu City an amount for their one day stay.

Morpos said that the group is very articulate and can convince any Pension house staff that they are well-off.

He said MCPO will ask their counterparts in Davao City to find out whether the group has pending warrants of arrest.

Morpos said a swindling case is being prepared against Mayola.  (FREEMAN)