3 suspects nabbed for scamming lawmakers, other politicians

MANILA, Philippines — Police arrested a man posing as a representative from Camarines Sur and his two cohorts for allegedly duping some legislators and Cavite Vice Gov. Jolo Revilla into giving them money.

PNP chief Gen. Oscar Albayalde on Thursday identified the suspects as Dennis Jose Borbon, Edgar Paulo James Bularan, and Menard Gregg Bassa who were arrested in separate entrapment operations.

In a press briefing at Camp Crame, Albayalde said Borbon called Revilla on his personal mobile number and introduced himself as Camarines Sur Rep. Arnulf Bryan Fuentabella.

Citing testimony from Revilla, Albayalde said the caller claimed to have lost his wallet while on a private trip to Coron, Palawan and asked for P25,000.

Revilla however learned from Fuentebella that he did not make such a call, prompting both of them to seek assistance from the PNP Anti-Cybercrime Group in identifying and arresting the suspects.

According to Fuentabella, at least eight senators and congressmen also approached him and claimed receiving the same messages and phone calls.

Acting on the report, the PNP-ACG arrested Bassa at around 7 p.m. Tuesday after receiving P10,000 from Revilla through a local remittance center in Camarines Sur.

Borbon and Bularan were later arrested at about 12:55 p.m. on Wednesday after attempting to withdraw the remaining P15,000 from a bank’s automated teller machine in Malabon City.

Charges for violation of computer-related identity theft under the Republic Act 10175 or the Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012, and estafa will be filed against the suspects now detained at the ACG at Camp Crame.

‘Black propaganda’?

Meanwhile, Senator Christopher “Bong” Go, who was at the press conference, said authorities found out that the opposition, through former Senator Bam Aquino, hired Borbon to help in launching black propaganda against the administration of President Rodrigo Duterte and his allies during the recent elections.

Borbon, who claimed he was an “anti-Duterte blogger” and knew Peter Joemel Advincula alias “Bikoy” in the narcolist videos, echoed this and said he received P20,000 to P40,000 a month for the demolition job.

He also alleged that former Senator Antonio Trillanes IV and former senatorial candidate Gary Alejano were behind the supposed black propaganda. /je