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PBA star’s ex-wife, pal nabbed for car theft, scam

January 10, 2022 Alfred P. Dalizon 1321 views

AGENTS of the Special Operations Division-Task Force Limbas of the Philippine National Police Highway Patrol Group on Sunday the ex-wife of Philippine Basketball Association star Terrence Romeo and her pal for purported involvement in a multi-million investment scam and the so-called ‘Rent-Tangay’ carnapping scheme, PNP-HPG director, Brigadier General Rommel Francisco D. Marbil said yesterday.

News of the arrest of Beatrice Pia White alias ‘Janelle M. Consunji’ and Efcel Nonay Reyes alias ‘Christine Martinez’ spread like a wildfire and prompted dozens of people claiming to have been victimized by the duo to rush to the HPG SOD-Task Force Limbas headquarters in Camp Crame to file formal criminal complaints against the two, the official said.

HPG-SOD-Task Force Limbas chief, Lieutenant Colonel Joel Manuel A. Ana said that their background investigation showed that White used to be one of the officials of a Cebu City-based Business Process Outsourcing or BPO company fired for alleged involvement in a number of anomalies including ‘ghost employees,’ non-remittance of their employees’ monthly contribution to the government an non-payment of the rent for the building occupied by the company which later went bankrupt.

The official said that dozens of complainants who flocked to their office have accused White and Reyes of involvement in the highly-fraudulent Cash Investment Networking Multi-Level Marketing of Aurea Organica International based in Q.C.

Said to have been set up by the duo in December 2020, the company was accused of gypping some 700 network members of an estimated P80 million, the SOD-Task Force Limbas commander said.

“There were also a number of complainants who have accused Reyes of involvement in identity theft after she reportedly used their real names and addresses in anomalous transactions.,” Lt. Col. Ana said.

According to Brig. Gen. Marbil, members of the HPG SOD-Task Force recovered two motor vehicles which were failed to return by the duo from two complainants.

“We’re investigating the involvement of the two suspected con artists in massive technical carnapping or the ‘Rent-Tangay’ scheme in Metro Manila , Central Luzon and Calabarzon regions and as far as Cebu and Mindanao. There have also been more than a dozen people who have trooped to our headquarters to accuse the two of involvement in a multi-million highly-fraudulent investment scam,” said Lt. Col. Ana.

The duo was placed under arrest during an entrapment operation in Sta. Mesa, Manila. The sting was conducted by the HPG operatives with the help of a rent-a-car operator identified as Manuelito Larin.

It turned out that the duo demanded P80,000 from Larin in exchange for the return of his 2019 model Mitsubishi Mirage with conduction sticker B4W178. An investigation showed that the suspects rented the car from the complainant but failed to return the vehicle on the agreed date and instead demanded money from the latter or he will not get his sedan anymore.

Lt. Col. Ana said they discovered that the two suspects deliberately disposed Larin’s car to one ‘Christopher L.’ of Quezon City who was tagged as a ready buyer of motor vehicles being acquired by the duo thru their ‘Rent-Sangla, Rent-Tangay’ scheme.

During investigation, Larin said he decided to post the suspect’s fraudulent activity on FB Market Place after the duo demanded money from him in exchange for the return of his car.

The complainant said that another person who also experienced the same situation at the hands of the suspects contacted him and they both decided to seek the assistance of Brig. Gen. Marbil in going after the duo.

Brig. Gen. Marbil said that the SOD-Task Force Limbas fully investigated the complaint. Eventually, the team of Lt. Col. Ana, Major Bienvenido Probadora Jr. and Captain Jayson Galimba managed to build intelligence information that led in the identification of the culprits.

“Being pretty and glamorous-looking women, the two were recruited and trained by veteran carnapping syndicates to lure potential victims of their phony rental agreements, the so-called ‘Assume Balance’ sale agreement and loan accommodation agreements,” said Lt. Col. Ana.

The official said that once the syndicate gets possession of the motor vehicles, they will sell or pawn the vehicles to their other contacts or victims under the ‘Talon’ scheme using fraudulent documents.

A number of similar ‘Rent-Tangay/Sangla, Pasalo-Benta, Labas-Casa-Talong’ schemes have been investigated by the PNP-HPG in the past. These fraudulent schemes have actually replaced the traditional practice of car thieves to steal vehicles at gunpoint or thru intimidation or steal motor vehicles in their parking areas.

Brig. Gen. Marbil said that two other persons identified as Judith Liao and John Ferdinand Ragma have positively identified the duo as the same car renters who managed to steal their vehicles using falsified identification cards and papers.

Both complainants said that just like in the case of Larin, the suspects failed to return their vehicles after their rental agreement expired.

Last Sunday, Ragma’s Toyota Avanza was recovered by the HPG agents inside the Fisher Mall parking area in Quezon City. A Hyundai Kona also owned by Ragma was recovered by the PNP-HPG men near a house being rented by the suspects in Tamarind Street in Angeles City, Pampanga.

Now being held at the SOD-Task Force Limbas lock-up facility, the two suspects have been inquested for robbery-extortion under Article 294 of the Revised Penal Code and Article 178 of the RPC otherwise known as ‘using fictitious name and concealing true name’ and violation of Section 4 or ‘concealment of carnapping’ under Republic Act 10883 of the New Anti-Carnapping Law of the Philippines before the Manila City Prosecutor’s Office, said the PNP-HPG director.

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