BY DOMINIQUE GABRIEL G. BAÑAGA
BACOLOD City – The nine people arrested earlier this week have been formally charged by the police for a string of theft incidents during the MassKara Festival.
Police identified the suspects as Jomari Saud Salarda, Elaine Guarin, Bea Ramirez, Alfredo Pascual Jr., Jonathan Calinap, Rovelen Abellar, Jay Ann Benlot, Felix Navales, and Shane Aniñon, all residents of Metro Manila.
Police Station 1 commander, Police Major Ramel Sarona, said all of the suspects were charged with theft, with Guarin slapped with an additional charge of violating Republic Act 8484, or an “Act regulating the issuance and use of access devices, prohibiting fraudulent acts committed relative thereto.”
Sarona said Guarin was the first to be arrested; she allegedly tried to use a stolen credit card to pay for items at a mall in the city.
Prior to using the stolen credit card, the owner had already alerted the bank in advance and the police were able to quickly trace Guarin’s whereabouts.
Guarin’s cohorts were also arrested in a follow-up operation in the city’s Barangay Mansilingan, and police were able to recover several valuables which they believe could have been stolen.
Sarona noted that a 10th unidentified suspect managed to escape, and he believes that the still unidentified individual may have been the one who made arrangements on behalf of the suspects by providing them with the plane tickets to travel to Bacolod City, renting out the house in Barangay Mansilingan, and providing information on how to travel around the city and pointing them to possible target places where they could victimize people.
Sarona added that it is possible that the suspects are also traveling to other cities in the country, especially those holding festivals.
The suspects are still detained at the Police Station 1, and Sarona is currently calling on the public who may have been victimized by the suspects to come forward and file additional criminal charges against them./PN
