Woman from Cebu nabbed for estafa, posing as incoming PRO-18 director

CEBU, Philippines - Members of the Negros Oriental Police Provincial Office (NORPPO) on Wednesday arrested a 33-year-old woman for eleven counts of estafa back in Butuan City of Agusan del Norte and Bogo City of Cebu, and for allegedly misrepresenting herself as a 'police general.'

NORPPO Director Senior Superintendent Henry Biñas identified the suspect as Nimjie Villegas Tampus, a resident of Bogo City in Cebu, who was arrested right at the NORPPO headquarters at Camp Francisco Fernandez in Agan-an, Sibulan, Negros Oriental.

The police nabbed Tampus for usurpation of authority — for claiming she was the incoming director of the Police Regional Office-18 (Negros Island Region) —and based on the arrest warrant, issued by the Regional Trial Court-Branch 61 in Bogo City, for seven counts of estafa and four more counts in Butuan City.

Biñas said Tampus pretended to be a general in the police organization, purportedly to deceive the police and to victimized more in the province. She even had an escort, identified as Jail Officer 2 Gil Salatan.

Salatan, believed to be the boyfriend of Tampus and was also arrested, was ordered to explain why he should not be charged with violations of Presidential Decree 1829 for obstruction of justice.

The arresting officers were Inspector Bernabe Rubio, officer-in-charge of the Dauin Police Station, together with Police Officers 3 Edgardo Pacana and Jimmar Delfino, and Police Officer 1 Virgel Pacana.

Recovered from the possession of Salatan were four cellphones—an I-Phone 7 Plus (black, silver, gold and rose gold), and a Samsug unit.

Tampus is temporarily detained at the Dumaguete City Police detention cell. (FREEMAN)