‘Don’t try to fool the chief of police’

A 36-year-old man whose modus operandi includes using fake calling cards was arrested last Friday night after he tried to fool a police official in Cebu City.

Jonathan Garay wasn’t aware that the man he was talking to in Crown Regency Hotel in Osmeña Boulevard was the chief of police of Cebu City.

It was opening night of Casino Filipino in the hotel.

Senior Supt. Ramon Buenafe, who attended the affair, said Garay mistook him for a Japanese national and handed him a business card, which stated that he was a heavy equipment dealer.

“I was not in uniform at that time. He was pretending to be with me (in the event). He asked for my card . . . I asked what he’s doing there,” Buenafe said.

The police chief said he became suspicious because the fellow was roaming around.

He said Garay’s method was to get the calling card of someone he just met, engage in a conversation and use his name to get close to other people.

“He will look for a chance to get to know you. Then he will use your name in introducing himself to other people as a ‘big-time’ sales agent,” Buenafe said.

Buenafe said he became suspicious because Garay’s card bore no office address, only his telephone number.

He said Garay was unable to answer him when he asked him why he was at the event so the police official asked staff to do a background check.

Garay, a resident of barangay Canduman, Mandaue City, was invited to the Cebu City Police Office for questioning.

Buenafe said the suspect had fictitious business cards and IDs with him.

“He was presenting fictitious cards. He introduced himself and pretended to be an agent of a big company using different names, calling cards, ID, etc. He also pretended to be a policeman. He has a fake ID of a highway patrol member,” Buenafe said.

“We will be filing cases for concealment of true identity and usurpation against Garay.”

A background check showed a number of complaints filed against Garay. Last Friday, some police officers in the pier were the targets.

He said Garay pretended to be a coast guard officer at Pier 3.

“He (Garay) introduced himself as a coast guard member. He asked for our names and where we were assigned. We were heading home to Lapu-Lapu and he asked for the license of our firearms,” said PO1 Chona Lugo.

Lugo was with her friend, PO1 Charlotte Los Baños, waiting for a ferry boat at the time. They did not comply with the suspect’s order.

Police records showed that Garay was arrested for estafa in Junquera last 2009 and later posted bail.

Investigation and Detective Management Branch Chief Bonifacio Garciano said Garay was arrested two years ago for transacting the sale of a “bulldozer” worth P150,000 to a businessman but did not deliver it after payment was made.