3 charged for using fake docs

Ruji Peter S. Abat

A lady and two men were charged before the Regional Trial Court (RTC) Davao City Branch 10 for allegedly using fake documents to procure appliances worth P480,000 from an appliance store along Legaspi St. between January and February this year.

Facing charges of estafa through falsification of public documents are Rachelle Saligumba, 23, hailing from Matina; Dindo Hormellosa, 31, and a resident of Talomo and Aldren Santos also of Matina.

Prosecutor Marte Melchor Velasco found probable cause to charge the three based on the complaint filed by Walter Lopez, credit and collection manager of Imperial Appliance Plaza and the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI)-Davao Region.

Velasco, in a resolution dated March 28, said that on December 23 last year, Sarigumba, who introduced herself as Djamela Carpio, along with her live-in partner Santos processed the purchase of a Sony LED TV worth P36,999 after the appliance store offered an installment promo package.

Sarigumba allegedly made the transaction with salesman John Rey Sarno.

She then presented a business permit under the name of Bianca Santos indicating that she owns a bakery while the respondent also submitted a copy of a Deed of Absolute Sale of a Property showing that her relative Ligaya Santos bought the property of a certain Pablito Villanuave at NHA Bangkal. The respondent also submitted Proof of Billing Address and electricity bills.

Raynhel Sanat, a credit investigator of the same appliance store, approved her application and three days after the application, the first of the 13 TV sets were released to the respondents.

Another credit investigator identified as Reynaldo Garcia visited the house of Sarigumba to verify her address.

Garcia and the respondent met at the residence of Sarigumba and from there, the two agreed that Sarigumba will be a co-maker for her employees whom she claimed to be interested in availing the same promo.

Since then, the appliance store released 12 TV units worth P480,987 to Sarigumba who transacted in behalf of her 11 alleged employees of the bakery.

This raised the suspicion of Lopez who was wondering why the transaction was fast.

On February 13, he told Sarno to put the application of Hormellosa, who introduced himself as John Macabudbud and claimed to be an employee of Sarigumba, on hold since he will conduct an investigation.

On February 17, Lopez found out that Sarigumba was no longer staying at the house in Bangkal and on February 19, the Business Bureau verified that the business permit she submitted was a fake.

Lopez then raised the concern to NBI-Davao Region who conducted an entrapment operation against Sarigumba and Hormellosa.

Santos, meanwhile, was not with the arrested suspects during the operations thus, he is still at large. Recovered from the possession of Sarigumba and Hormellosa was another Sony LED TV.

But while Sarigumba and Hormellosa were arrested NBI is still tracking down Santos while the RTC Branch 11 presiding Judge Virginia Hofileña-Europa is yet to set the schedule of the arraignment.

Source: sunstar