MANILA, Philippines — Warning to those buying, leasing or loaning land properties: Check the authenticity of land titles by securing a certified copy before any transaction.
Chief Insp. Rosalino Ibay, Jr., chief of the Manila Police District’s Police Intelligence and Operations unit (MPD-DPIOU), said this after at least five victims of a fake property-pawning scheme (Sanglang-Tira) surfaced at the MPD headquarters following the arrest of three suspected swindlers on Thursday.
Suspects Celesta Frogosa aka Jenny, 33; Josefina Lada aka Mercedita, 59, and Ma Leonisa Quiambao aka Mary, 27, underwent inquest proceedings on Saturday after a busted bogus land loaning transaction.
On Thursday, Frogosa, Lada and Quiambao were arrested in an entrapment operation by the MPD-DPIOU operatives at the canteen of the YMCA building on Arroceros St,, in Manila, following a complaint from 29-year-old businesswoman Junnel Fajardo who met the suspects to give them an additional P200,000.
Their fourth cohort, Anita Frogosa, 65, who used the name Carmencita Nicdao, is currently at large.
Ibay said the busted Tondo group’s modus involved researching and renting a house in Tondo, Manila, and then posing as real-estate agents. Using the identity of the real owner, a fake copy of the land title and the owner’s identification cards, the suspects would then offer the property for mortgage.
Fajardo told the police on Wednesday that the two land titles given to her in exchange for two loaned properties in Tondo were all fake based on the records of the Registry of Deeds.
According to Fajardo, Lada, posing as the owner, loaned to her a five-story property with a 55.95sqm lot area located at # 45 Quirino St., in Tondo, Manila, and received from her P550,000.
Meanwhile, Anita Forgosa, posing as Carmencita Nicdao, loaned to her another four-story building with a 41.02-sqm lot area at 184 B in Mata St in Herbosa, Tondo at P200,000
All the illegal transactions were facilitated by Quiambao who served as the real estate agent, Fajardo told the police.
On Sunday afternoon, another complainant Rhoda Hernandez, 43, appeared at the MPD headquarters saying that she was also defrauded by the arrested suspects who loaned to her a property in Tondo for P150,000.
Hernandez said she discovered the title to the property was fake only after the real property owner asked her P8,000 rental fee barely a month after.
“I subscribe to ‘Sanglang-tira’ because it is more practical. It’s like putting your money in a bank and living in someone else’s property for free. You get the money back in full after. If the creditor won’t pay, you still have a house to stay at,” Hernandez said, citing that this is her first “fake” Sanglang-Tira experience.
Three more complainants have gone to the MPD since Thursday,, saying they were also victims of the bogus “Sanglang-Tira” after they separately paid P100,000; P120,000 and P1.2 million. Most of them were told to leave the “loaned” property by the real owners for non-payment.
The suspects face charges for violations of Art 315 (Swindling Estafa) and Art 316 (other forms of swindling); Art 172 (Falsification by private individuals and used of falsified documents) and Art 178 or use of fictitious name and concealing true names).
The police said they have been consolidating all complaints and evidence against the suspects. SFM