Police arrested a taxi driver and three men with P50,000 in fake money in Sogod town, northern Cebu, yesterday.
One of the passengers admitted “buying” counterfeit P500 and P1,000 bills in downtown Cebu City then using some to pay for purchases in sari-sari stores on their way to an overnight outing in Daanbantayan town on Sunday.
A store owner in Borbon town complained about the fake bills that led police to track down the white Toyota Corolla taxi at 10 a.m. on its way to Cebu City.
Police confiscated 52 pieces of P500 bills and 24 pieces of P1,000 bills from the men, including canned goods and cigarettes bought from the stores.
Dennis Dolino, 42, said he “bought” the fake money in Jakosalem Street, Cebu City, and paid P150 for a P500 bill and P200 each for the P1,000 bills.
Others arrested were Ian Mendoza, 31; Nadki Miles Solon, 20 and the taxi driver Roberto Hatamosa, 38.
The taxi driver said he wasn’t aware of the group’s illegal activity and that he was flagged down in Colon Street at 9 p.m. Sunday and was paid P2,000 to drive them to Daanbantayan.
Senior Supt. Patrocinio Comendador, Cebu City police chief, said the police would look deeper into the fraud in coordination with the Banko Sentral ng Pilipinas.
He urged other victims to come forward.