PNP tells shoppers to watch out

The Iloilo City Police Office (ICPO) has issued a warning against the possible proliferation of fake bills in the market, especially on the advent of Christmas Season and the annual Candelaria cockfight in Jaro district barely two months from now.

ICPO director Senior Supt. Marietto Valerio said that the public should be vigilant and aware of the security features of a genuine bill from fake ones.

According to the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP), the most distinctive feature would be the watermark at the picture of a genuine bill that could not be found on the counterfeit money.

“Pero sa ngayon, halos iilan lang ang nagsasabi na nabigyan o nasuklian sila ng peke,” he said.

Valerio added that they have not monitored any group that might circulate counterfeit bills. “Wala naman sigurong sindikato na nagpapakalat talaga ditto.”

He also warned any person who will deliberately use fake money for their purchases for “they could be charged for violating Article 168 of the Revised Penal Code which is the Illegal Possession and Use of False Treasury or Bank Notes and Other Instruments of Credits.

For several months, police has not received any confirmed report that counterfeit bills have been circulated.

The latest operation in Iloilo against counterfeit money was done sometime in February against a former soldier.

Elpidio Baysa, 40, a native of Purok Narra, Digos City, Davao del Sur and temporarily residing at Brgy. Anilao, Pavia, Iloilo, was arrested in an entrapment operation at the New Gallera de Calinog at Brgy. Dalig, Calinog town.

A month prior to that, another man was also arrested after he bought some P200 worth of items at a sari-sari store in Barotac Viejo using a fake P1000 bill.

When the information was alerted to policemen, they arrested a certain Cloyd Hamot at a checkpoint in Lemery, Iloilo.

The following day, police operatives collared Nerio Catamin in an entrapment operation at Passi City.

Hamot allegedly pointed to Catamin as the source of the fake money.

Around P30,000 of fake bills were taken from the duo’s possession.

A fake P1,000 bill is allegedly priced at P400 while the fake P500 is sold at P200.*