Sagada ‘tourists’ victimize locals of fake P1,000 bills

By Gina Dizon

SAGADA, Mountain Province -- Entrepreneurs managing souvenir, grocery, and money padala shops were victimized here with fake P1000 money bills transacted by suspected local tourists June 23 this year.

Maria Clarita Garcia Fernando, 36, one among  five suspects, and resident of  Cabuyao, Laguna was charged with violation of  the revised penal code provision on  illegal possession  and use of false  treasury notes here at the Regional Trial Court  in Bontoc. Suspect is now detained at the provincial jail the the capital town of Bontoc.

Sagada chief of police Kristine Gamboa revealed that Fernando was charged of the criminal offense by Dennis Daysa, owner of Medaz Store located here at Centrum building.

Following police investigation, Fernando was positively identified by Daysa’s 13 year old daughter Carriz Daysa who was then manning their family business at Medaz Store high noon of June 23. 

Daysa   stated that Fernando bought groceries in the amount of less than a hundred pesos tendering a P1,000 peso bill.

She came to know the 1000 peso bill was fake when she checked in their counterfeit money detector. 

The other five suspects were released by authorities of the Buguias Police Station who intercepted suspects late afternoon of June 23 with no witnesses to identify them and no charges filed within a certain period of time, it was learned.

Suspects  were  apprehended  when Shellan Addag, manager of Smart Money Padala located  at Centrum building noticed that  two of  1000 money bills  transacted by  a certain Joshua  Lopez afternoon of  June 23  bore similar currency numbers Y5433547.  

The other serial numbers were M390546, D9567118 and R813771.  

An initial P4,000 in P100 money bills were sent via Smart Money Padala morning of June 23 and immediately received by someone at Muntinlupa, Manila.

Addag called the attention of the sender that such maybe fake prompting the sender to say that he will tell his mother and hurriedly went out of the shop.  

Noting the suspicious acts of the sender, Addag  halted the transaction and  immediately  sought aid of police officers  Bonifacio Agpad and Kit  Sumeg-ang who alerted  police stations.

Natubleng,  Buguias police as a result intercepted the  suspects riding on a silver gray Toyota  Innova bearing plate number UHO 821.

Also, Nellie Sagandoy  Capuyan, saleslady of Ganayo’s  Enterprise at Centrum reported to police that   a P1,000 bill paid  by an unidentified  female person for  a  T-shirt  worth  P220 bore the same  serial number  Y5433547  when  Addag alerted other  shops near hers.

Others reported at the police station  namely Angeline Magwelang  stating  that she received  a fake P1000 bill in exchange for  grocery items.

Debra Likigan who mans a souvenir shop reported of fake P1,000 bill used  to buy  souvenir items afternoon of June 23.

Fernando in an interview said “sinamahan ko lang sila” referring to her younger sister, two others and  two other minor children.

She said a lawyer from Manila shall be attending to her case.  Suspects checked in at St. Jo Cafe afternoon of June 22. 

Police reports noted there had been no incidents of fake money reports reaching the police station for quite some time till the recent incident.

Though in nearby Bontoc, fake cheques were discovered transacted in a pharmacy early this year and suspects not from the province detained at the provincial jail.