Authorities arrested a 48-year-old man who pretended to be a SEA Games supervisor and collected money from fire victims of a barangay in Makati city, Wednesday.
Makati City Police chief, Col. Rogelio Simon, identified the suspect as Rhoderick Malubago, resident of Batangas St., Brgy. San Isidro, Makati City.
The victims Marlina Azur, 59; Roland Palapus, 34, jeepney driver; Lorenze Manigbas, 33; Grace Garalde, 56; Arnele Magaso, 35 and Ronald Bellen, 34, sidecar boy charged Malubago with swindling or estafa.
All of the complainants were victims of a fire that burned down houses in Brgy. San Isidro.
According to the victims, the suspect first approached them at their home evacuation site and identified himself as an employee of the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) and Admin Officer of the SEA Games.
The suspect offered them a job as a messenger at the SEA Games for a P20,000 salary. He also promised the victims would be the beneficiary of the PSC’s ‘housing project.’
In exchange, the fake SEA Games supervisor asked for P10,000 from the victims to process their job and register them in the housing project.
When the victims gave the money, Maubago never showed up. They were not able to contact him anymore, so the victims decided to ask for help from the police. It was 12:30 am when police arrested Malubago at his home.
The suspect was even wearing the SEA Games uniform he uses to fool his victims when he was arrested.
The suspect explained that he had a problem with money, so he committed fraud. The suspect is now being held at the Makati City Police Detention Center.