Man held for faking robbery hold-up in Nueva Ecija

JAEN, Nueva Ecija –– Police arrested a 44-year-old businessman for allegedly staging a fake hold-up incident in which he claimed he lost P670,000 to an unidentified robber.

Investigators identified the suspect as Romeo Santiago, a resident of Barangay Lapit in San Isidro town.

In his report to the police, Santiago said he was held-up at gunpoint in Barangay Sapang around 4:30 p.m. on Sunday.

Santiago claimed that a knife-wielding man forcibly took his sling bag while he was buying plants.

“This station conducted a thorough investigation and revealed that the suspect only connived with the alleged hold-upper to get his sling bag,” said Maj. Baltazar Corpuz, chief of police.

Corpuz said the suspect eventually admitted that the bag contained only a face mask and that he just staged the scenario to make it appear that the cash, which was owned by his girlfriend, was stolen.

The suspect was charged with violation of Article 183 of the Revised Penal Code or false testimony.

LZB