Old face mask vendor duped by man using fake P1,000 bill

Sabdullah Amantar

LAPU-LAPU CITY, Philippines — A 68-year-old vendor from Barangay Gun-ob, Lapu-Lapu City was duped by a man who used a fake P1,000 bill to buy face masks he was selling.

On Tuesday morning, October 4, 2022, Sabdullah Amantar was already on the street selling his face masks to passing pedestrians at the Mactan Town Center (MTC) in Barangay Basak.

His daughter, Aiza, told CDN Digital that a man, who was riding a motorcycle, suddenly stopped and parked his motorcycle near Amantar to buy some face masks.

She said that the man bought P100 worth of face masks from his father and paid the P1,000 fake bill.

However, Amantar wasn’t able to recognize if the money is fake because of his failing eyesight due to his age.

Amantar gave the man P900 as change.

“Nagpalit ra siya adtong mask nga tag-50 nya wa man maklaro sa akong papa kung peke ba to, so gisuklian niya ug P900,” Aiza said.

The incident, Amantar said was already reported at the Basak Barangay Hall.

They were also assisted by the barangay to look for CCTV footage near the area to identify the suspect.

“Dili man maklaro sa CCTV kay nag-helmet man unya ang motor layo ra sa CCTV. Dili maklaro ang plate number,” she added.

Amantar started selling face masks in the streets at the height of the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) in 2020.

Before the pandemic, he used to sell cigarettes in the streets.

Lapu-Lapu City Mayor Chan, on his Facebook post, said that he will do everything just to apprehend the man who bought face masks using a fake P1,000 bill.

“Ayaw kabalaka Tay, buhaton nako ang tanan nga masikop tong nangilad nimo. Sakit gyud gihapon sa akong dughan nga nakaya nila ang maong binuhatan,” Chan’s post reads.

Aiza also said that some staff from the mayor’s office has already visited them and promised that they will contact them soon.     /rcg

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