CIDG in E. Visayas seeks public help for arrest of 3 accused in estafa case

INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

CEBU CITY — Officials of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group in Eastern Visayas (CIDG-8) are asking help from the public for any information that would lead to the arrest of three people accused of large-scale estafa.

Police officials believed the suspects–Ormoc City-based businesswoman Michelle Go-Chu and couple Lorenzo and Jerlyn Baltonado–are hiding in Cebu.

Cebu-businessman Kaiser Tan dangled a P1.5 million cash reward for information that would lead to the arrest of the suspects.

Judge Ruben Fermin Altubar of Regional Trial Court Branch 28 in Toledo City, Cebu issued a warrant of arrest against the suspects last May 15.

No bail was recommended.

In an online press conference, CIDG-8 officer-in-charge, Lt. Col. Arwin Tadeo, said they served the warrant at Go-Chu’s residence in Ormoc City but she was not found there.

“For now, we are consolidating a sensible amount of information to determine the whereabouts of Michelle Go-Chu,” said Tadeo.

“We have to use our detective efforts to make sure that when we serve the warrant, we would really arrest the subject,” he added.

Based on the records of the Bureau of Immigration, Tadeo said Go-Chu is still in the country.

The case stemmed from a case filed by Tan accusing the three suspects of defrauding him of around P200 million in alleged investment scam.

Lawyer Fransisco Amit, legal counsel of Tan, said the “project” where Tan supposedly invested was “non-existent.”

Amit said his client initially trusted the three since the couple is a known contractor in Ormoc City while Go-Chu is a chief finance officer of a motor company.

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JPV