Recruiter of 6 in fake dollar case nabbed

Relief for six illegal recruitment Filipino victims charged before the local and federal courts on allegations of counterfeiting some $5,000 in US currency hopefully hangs by the arrest of their suspected illegal recruiter in the Philippines.

Local police authorities yesterday received word that its Philippine law enforcement counterparts may have apprehended the perpetrator to the illegal recruitment scam: Emma Ragoyal Cabigting, along with an accomplice.

Though reports of their arrest have yet to be confirmed, Police Commissioner Charles W. Ingram Jr. disclosed yesterday that local intelligence officials are closely collaborating with the Philippine Center for Transnational Crime Interpol to finally bring the pending case to a close.

With the discovery of the culprit, hopes are high the six Filipino nationals indicted before the Superior Court and the US District Court of counterfeiting charges will be subject to less restricting consequences such as deportation to the place of origin, instead of the 15-year jail term if found guilty by the federal grand jury.

Ms. Cabigting, the alleged mastermind to the fraudulent operation, has reportedly been indicted before Philippine courts with illegal recruitment charges on a large scale, according to sources.

The suspect, according to testimonies released by victims, was the one who allegedly turned over the bogus dollars to the hands of a group of Filipinos who arrived on Saipan as tourists last Jan. 24, 2001.

They were caught at the Saipan International Airport by immigration officers in possession of 100-dollar fake bills which they carried for “show money.”

While traveling to the island as tourists, the group revealed they were promised by their recruiter jobs in the Commonwealth, paying as much as $1,000 to $1,500 for the exchange deal.

The promised jobs turned out to be a hoax since the recruiter was apparently illegal.

The victims also discovered only at the time of their encounter with the Commonwealth Immigration that they carried with them bogus dollars.

Charged with counterfeiting are Rolando Hilongo Lambio, Nelia Baradi Florendo, Archie Barnatcha Macapagal, Ronalia De Guzman Navarro, Romeo Gumin Montoya, and Thelma Loqueno Tejano.

Federal jury trials for Ms. Tejano and Ms. Navarro have been set for April 30 at 9am, to be followed by Mr. Montoya and Mr. Lambio on May 14, at 9am, while Ms. Florendo and Ms. Macapagal have been scheduled for May 7, at 9am.