Police: Village councilor, brother nabbed for estafa in Marinduque town

CITY OF CALAPAN – A village councilor and his brother were arrested on Tuesday morning for several counts of estafa in Buenavista town in Marinduque province, police said.

In a phone interview, police Colonel Wilson Santos, Marinduque police chief, said that Kennedy Mercene, 42, and his brother Kelly, 41, were arrested at around 11:25 a.m. by police armed with warrants of arrest swindling-estafa charges in Barangay (village) Caigangan.

Kennedy was charged for 25 counts of estafa, bailable for P450,000, while Kelly for two counts, bailable for P36,000.

As of Tuesday, Santos said they filed 135 counts of estafa against the family of Mercene and cohorts, but they expect the charges to increase.

Santos said the brothers ran a networking scheme that victimized Buenavista residents, businessmen, police, local government officials and employees last year, taking millions of pesos from them.

Judge Junelet Mataro issued the warrant of arrests dated June 18, 2021 while Judge Robert Renido issued another warrant dated June 19, 2021. Both are assisting judges of Municipal Trial Court, Fourth Judicial Region in Buenavista.

The suspects are under police custody and are facing charges for violation of Article 315 of the Revised Penal Code as amended by Presidential Decree 1689.