by Artemio A. Dumlao

“Huge Counterfeit Money Ring Busted In Baguio”

BAGUIO CITY (February 5, 2010) – Politicians reportedly patronizing counterfeit Philippine bills are being tracked down by agents of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) of the PNP after a huge ring manufacturing 1,000, 500, and 200 bills was busted Thursday night here.

“We are deep into investigating initial information that some politicians are patronizing their products (counterfeit money),” said Chief Inspector Lucrecio Rodrigueza Jr, chief of the Baguio CIDG team that busted four members of the fake money ring inside the Paladin Hotel at around 7 o’ clock Thursday.

With a single local contact here identified as 50 year old Betty Aspilan, the counterfeit ring reportedly being led by Samson Cordova, 47, from Mandaluyong City; Ranerio Aquino, 51 from Antipolo City; and Estefanie Kristadio, 37 from Cebu City, was demonstrating to a poseur buyer how the counterfeiting was done when operatives swooped down on the hotel room.

Cops seized an improvised replicating glass paraphernalia, assorted papers, medical syringes, ink, an unknown chemical, scissors, several counterfeit money, and several genuine bills.
This group, CIDG said, is only one among many members of the large counterfeit money ring in the country whose primary customers at the moment are politicians.

Elaborating no further on the follow up operations being conducted by CIDG operatives, Rodrigueza said fake 1,000 bills are being peddled by the group for P300, P180 for fake P500 bills and P80 for fake P200s.

“Our agents started to track down this ring,” Rodrigueza said, “September last year but it is only now that the group was collared.”

The CIDG warned politicians caught patronizing these counterfeit, aside from criminal cases, will face disqualification raps before the Comelec.