Fred Galang’s Namesake: Estafa suspect not ex-actor

SAN FERNANDO CITY, Pampanga — Relatives of former movie actor Fred Galang, who starred in the Charito Solis starrer Igorota in the 1960s, clarified he was not the same person whom agents of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) arrested for estafa at the Subic Freeport last Friday.

"It would seem that there are two Fred Galangs who were former movie actors, although the other one was more famous," NBI-Central Luzon director Samuel Fiji told The STAR yesterday.

This, amid the confusion triggered by the arrest of a suspect bearing such a name in a estafa case involving imported luxury vehicles at the Subic Bay Freeport.

The Fred Galang who starred in Igorota, according to his relatives who have called up The STAR and Fiji’s office, has migrated to the United States 10 years ago and is now involved in pastoral work. They said the former actor won a Famas award for his role in that movie.

NBI agents nabbed Alfredo S. Galang, 50, in an entrapment at a fastfood outlet in Subic last Friday. He was caught after receiving P120,000 in marked money from businesswoman Pyra Lucas. Former actor Vic Vargas was with Galang during the entrapment.

Lucas, of Mabalacat, Pampanga, claimed that the amount was part of the P350,000 which Galang demanded from her for the release of five imported luxury vehicles from the Subic Bay Freeport.

Lucas insisted that the arrested Galang introduced himself to her as a former movie actor sometime in July last year.

"As a matter of fact, his employees in Subic were even surprised that I did not recognize him as a former movie actor," she said. He is the general manager of FG-628 Subic Bay Trading Co. Inc., of which Vargas is the sales manager.

The NBI has charged him with estafa with the Olongapo City prosecutor’s office. In its report, the bureau identified him as Alfredo "Fred" S. Galang.

Fiji said Galang has been released. The Olongapo City prosecutor’s office has set the preliminary investigation on the case.

Meanwhile, Galang denied having name-dropped Pampanga Vice Gov. Mikey Arroyo, as Lucas claimed, to advance his business interests.

Insisting that he was never a movie actor, Galang also belied allegations that they extorted "extra fees" from importers and buyers to grease the hands of officials, including Arroyo and Subic Customs collector Emelito Villaruz, to expedite the release of imported luxury vehicles from the Subic Bay Freeport.

"Why do we need to extort money and grease officials when we’re duly licensed to import used vehicles and sell them," he said.

Galang said the P350,000 he had asked from Lucas was part of an "unconsummated sale."

He said it was Lucas who still owed him some P538,000 for a Toyota Hilux pick-up and a Pajero van, two of the five imported vehicles which she wanted released.

"But our policy is never to release a vehicle until it is fully paid," he said.

For his part, Vargas alleged that Lucas was the one dropping the name of Arroyo "apparently to pressure us into releasing the vehicles."

Vargas said Lucas once went to their firm’s stockyard, and allegedly said, "Kung hindi mai-release yan, makakarating kay Mikey (If you don’t release that now, Mikey would know about it)." He said Lucas was then accompanied by a certain Col. Magpayo.

Galang said he and Vargas met with Arroyo last Monday to clear the issue. He quoted Mikey as denying that he knew Lucas and even urging him (Galang) to file a case against her.

Villaruz told reporters that Lucas approached him for help last Jan. 9 for the release of the vehicles, but that he told her that the transaction was between her and Galang. He said it was the first time he met Lucas. — With Jen Velarmino and Ric Sapnu