‘Con man’ free again

First the good news: The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) has arrested the alleged leader of a notorious gang of swindlers that has been operating for years and targeting property owners and elderly people who have just received their retirement benefits. Their take so far from their victims: a whopping P70 million.

Now the bad news: The bureau has been forced to release Rolando Basas from its custody despite the nine cases pending against him in various courts nationwide because he was charged with simple estafa, which is a bailable offense.

The capture of Basas was described as a “once in a blue moon arrest” because according to NBI special agent Felix Odencia, con men are elusive.

“Even if they are arrested, the case filed against them is bailable and then they [operate again] under various names [after they change their] appearance,” Odencia said.

Romy Bon Huy Lim, chief of the NBI Criminal Intelligence Division, told the Inquirer that they tried to keep Basas in their custody for as long as they legally could by finding out if there were other cases against him. The bureau eventually found nine pending warrants for his arrest.

“But every time we found a case, his lawyers would just apply for bail and because simple estafa is bailable, we had no choice but to release him eventually,” Lim said, adding that the bail posted by Basas totaled P420,000 for all nine cases.

Basas was arrested by the NBI in an entrapment operation in Parañaque City on September 5 when he tried to dupe the sister of former national treasurer Caridad Valdehuesa.

Lim said that Valdehuesa became suspicious and sought their help after Basas asked her for a large sum of money.

According to Lim, the gang splits into two or three groups during each “operation.”

The first group befriends the victim who is offering a property for sale. They introduce themselves as suppliers of pearl enhancers.

The second group then moves in, makes a bid for the victim’s property and then its members casually mention that they are looking for a pearl enhancer supplier. They then offer the victim a commission should she help them find a supplier.

Unaware that he is being set up, the victim would then call the first group and inform them of the second group’s offer.

With the victim serving as the go-between, the first and second group would then “agree on a deal.” After delivering the pearl enhancers (salt or flour placed in bottles) to the victim, the first group would then ask her to advance the money to be paid by the “buyer” as they are in immediate need of cash due to an “emergency.”