Ex-professor loses P.7 M to con men

CABANATUAN CITY – A retired college professor lost more than P700,000 in cash and jewelry to “budol-budol” gangmen in Talavera, Nueva Ecija on Monday.

Teresita Cabanilla told investigators she was on her way home in Barangay Esguerra when a man approached her and introduced himself as a “doctor” from Canada and that he was a classmate of her son.

At that point, two women joined them. One introduced herself as the doctor’s wife while the other as Sylvia Tan, supposedly a businesswoman from Masbate.

Case investigator Police Office 3 Marvin Verde said Tan asked Cabanilla to help her procure materials worth P110,000 from a nearby hardware store.

The victim said the suspects hypnotized her and she handed over to them her money amounting to P240,000, bankbook and jewelry worth P500,000.

The suspects gave her a bag supposedly containing their money, and that they would return to pick it up.

Cabanilla found out that the bag only contained an envelope and a bundle of papers. – Manny Galvez