PNP-CIDG members nab 6 syndicated estafa suspects
PHILIPPINE National Police Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (PNP-CIDG) agents arrested six persons suspected to have committed estafa in Santiago City, Isabela Friday, PNP-CIDG director Major General Romeo M. Caramat Jr. said yesterday.
The police said the six accused allegedly defrauded a number of victims, including a very wealthy man, of billions of pesos.
Efforts by a number of law enforcement agencies, including the National Bureau of Investigation, to capture them since the start of the Marcos Jr. administration have failed until an intelligence-driven operation in Santiago City resulted in their arrest.
The PNP-CIDG chief identified the accused as Henry Pagallaman Cureg, 63; Edna Chavez Yee-Cureg, 62; Edwin Chavez Yee, 63; Wilma Salvacion Chavez-Yee-Galope, 56; Consolita Chavez Yee, 89; and Helen Grace Chavez Yee, 54.
Edna Yee-Cureg is a resident of Ayala Alabang Village, Muntinlupa City while Edwin, Consolita and Helen Yee are all from Saint Ignatius Village in Quezon City.
Wilma is a resident of Dasmariñas City, Cavite.
Members of the CIDG National Capital Region Field Unit, headed by Colonel Hansel Marantan, and the CIDG Santiago City Field Unit, led by Lieutenant Col. Joey C. Arandia, arrested the six at around 8:30 p.m. last Friday in Barangay Balintocatoc, Santiago City, Isabela.
Judge Maria Caridad Villamor-Yee of the Makati City Regional Trial Court Branch 237 ordered the arrest of the accused for syndicated estafa, according to the police.
Syndicated estafa is a non-bailable offense. Under the law, ‘any person or persons who shall commit estafa or other forms of swindling as defined in Article 315 and 316 of the Revised Penal Code as amended, shall be punished by life imprisonment if the swindling (estafa) is committed by a syndicate consisting of five or more persons.
Estafa is committed with unfaithfulness or abuse of confidence, by means of false pretenses or fraudulent acts and through fraudulent means.
Members of the Intelligence Service of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, the Santiago City Police Office and the CIDG Regional Field Unit 2 assisted in the arrest of the suspects, Caramat said.
