PSG man held for ATM caper

A member of the Presidential Security Group (PSG) was arrested Friday night in Makati City after he was found carrying several ATM (automated teller machine) cards under different names and a scanner device apparently used to copy data from such cards.

The Makati police said Raphael Malacay Marcial, a young Navy officer and graduate of Philippine Military Academy-Class of 2008, was apprehended at the ATM booth of Eastwest Bank on Chino Roces Avenue Extension in Barangay Magallanes.

Around 11:30 p.m., Marcial caught the attention of a mobile patrol team from Substation 4 who was driving by and first noticed that his motorcycle parked near the booth had no license plate.

Before accosting Marcial, the policemen first conferred with the security guard on duty, Butch Abalon, who said he was also observing Marcial at the booth before they came and became suspicious of what he was doing.

Marcial did not resist arrest, according to Makati police chief Senior Supt. Manuel Lukban.

Recovered from him were nine ATM cards under different names as well as several “blank” cards.

Lukban said Marcial also carried a scanner device which investigators at press time were checking if it was used by the suspect to copy ATM cards.

Marcial also yielded other identification cards indicating he is a member of the elite Malacañang security unit and this was later confirmed to investigators by the PSG.

He carried the Navy rank of Lieutenant Senior Grade, Lukban said.

The suspect is facing charges for violating the e-Commerce law, the police chief added.