Dalogdog: Follow proper procedure in processing docs to avoid being victimized by scammers

Police Colonel Ireneo Dalogdog, Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG-7) director.  CDN Digital photo | Pegeen Maisie Sararana

CEBU CITY, Philippines –In processing documents such as renewal of visas, the public must follow the proper procedure rather than entrusting this to strangers for supposed to be hassle-free transactions which may turn out to be more problematic in the end.

Police Colonel Ireneo Dalogdog, chief of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG-7), tells the public to not trust strangers in processing their personal documents just for the sake of fast completion. Because this will only make them more vulnerable to fraud.

“We should be vigilant from exploitative individuals. Do not trust strangers lalo na yung nag offer ng madalian o hassle free na mga [especially those who offer fast] transactions in exchange for money. There is always a proper way to do it, we must follow the correct process,” Dalogdog said.

Dalogdog said this after a 74-year-old German was victimized by a 46-year-old Filipino identified as Franco Ta-ala III who took advantage of his victim and scammed the latter of P489, 200.

Dalogdog said Ta-ala was arrested through an entrapment operation last October 31 in Barangay Cayang in Bogo City.

The victim, a certain Martin Lee, and a resident of barangay Tarong in Madridejos in Cebu asked assistance from the CIDG-7 after Ta-ala could no longer be found 28 days after they agreed in letting the suspect process the renewal of the victim’s Visa.

“Kato si Mr. Lee, naa to siyay kaila nga nag inform sa iyaha nga naa sad siyay kaila nga si Mr. Ta-ala nga nagaprocess pod og ingun ana sa Visa. So karon, tungod ana, ninggikan og Madridejos, ningluwas si Mr. Lee sa Cebu City para makig kita kang Ta-ala [September 3],” Dalogdog said.

(Mr. Lee has a friend who also informed him of another friend, Mr. Ta-ala, who can process documents like visas. Because of that, Mr. Lee went to Cebu City from Madridejos to meet Ta-ala [September 3])

Lee stayed in a hotel in Cebu City for 28 days as he was waiting for Ta-ala to finish processing his documents. The suspect on the other hand repeatedly asked for money from the victim supposedly to be used in processing the renewal of his visa.

In his every attempt to go outside, Ta-ala allegedly told Lee to just stay in the hotel because he has an expired passport and that the police might arrest him.

As he trusted Ta-ala, he followed what the suspect instructed him. Within the said period, he did not receive any updates from Ta-ala about the renewal of his visa and that he already noticed that he has been spending too much for a renewal. That’s when Lee decided to go to the CIDG-7 on October 27 to ask for help.

Dalogdog said that they have difficulty conversing with Lee since he could not speak English very well.

The CIDG-7 operatives immediately coordinated with different police units and tried to contact the phone number of Ta-ala. Fortunately, they managed to converse with the suspect and successfully conducted the entrapment operation which resulted in his arrest on October 31, 2021, in Bogo City.

Dalogdog appeals to anyone who might have been victimized by the same modus to never hesitate to seek assistance from them.    /rcg

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