Man pretends to be Mexican, steals bag at casino

MANILA, Philippines –  A man claiming to be a Mexican national was arrested at a casino in Pasay City Thursday for allegedly stealing money from a Filipino businessman.

Chief Inspector Jenny Tecson, spokesperson of the Southern Police District, identified the suspect as Roberto Valdez from Tijuana, Mexico.

He was nabbed for allegedly stealing the bag of businessman Manuel Moreno while the latter was playing a poker at the ground floor of the Resort World hotel.

 Pasay City police chief Sen. Supt. Napoleon Cuaton debunked Valdez’s claim, saying the Mexican embassy denied he is one of its nationals.

”He kept talking to us in English but the [text messages in the] inbox and sent [folders] of his cell phone were all in Tagalog,” Cuaton told The STAR in a phone interview.

Valdez was charged for theft before the city prosecutor’s office.

Cuaton accused Valdez of belonging to an eight-man “Salisi” robbery group whose members entered the casino Thursday, as shown in the casino’s surveillance camera footage.