NBI files raps vs woman posing as Cebu Gov. Garcia to solicit cash online

FILE / Official facebook page of Cebu Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia

CEBU CITY — The National Bureau of Investigation in Central Visayas (NBI-7) has filed a case against a woman who claimed to be Cebu Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia on social media to solicit funds for a supposed non-government organization.

Conchita Ceniza Traya, a resident of Prosperidad town, Agusan del Sur, was charged at the prosecutor’s office last Monday, Oct. 3, for violating the Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012.

Since the respondent remained at large, the prosecutor’s office will conduct a preliminary investigation and give Traya a chance to submit her counter-affidavit to refute the allegations.

If there is sufficient evidence against Traya, charges will be elevated to the trial court. Otherwise, the case will be dismissed.

Last June 27, 2022, public school teacher Herbert Canete received a message on Instagram from the fake Governor Garcia account asking for P100,000 to help a non-government organization.

When Canete haggled that the amount be lowered to 5,000, the fake account holder agreed. The amount was sent electronically through Gcash.

Sensing that he was only duped by the respondent, Canete decided to send just P5. The public school teacher then sent a screenshot of the transaction to Governor Garcia who sought the intervention of the NBI over a fake Instagram account that used her name.

Garcia does not have a personal Instagram account. What she has is an official Instagram fan page managed by the Provincial Information Office named “GwenGarcia_Cebu.”

Traya was traced using a “warrant to disclose data” for her identified Gcash account.

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JPV