Cabbies used to distribute counterfeit bills

Mar 06, 2005
Updated 00:53am (Mla time)
Luige del Puerto
Inquirer News Service

THE POLICE said they had busted the distribution arm of a group that had “almost perfected” the printing of fake P500 bills.  The group sold counterfeit P500, P200 and P50 bills mostly to taxi drivers, according to Supt. William Macavinta, chief of the Nothern Police District’s Criminal Investigation and Detection Group.

“This group has almost perfected the printing of fake P500 bills,” Macavinta said. Only very close and careful scrutiny revealed the bills were fake.  The CIDG arrested on Thursday in Barangay Bitik in Valenzuela City Tony Espeleta, 42, and Jabiguero Rodolfo, 49.

The suspects, who were presented to the media in Camp Crame yesterday, reportedly yielded 40 pieces of counterfeit P500, 45 fake P50 and 20 fake P200 bills when nabbed.  The fake P500 bills had watermarks and fine security prints-signs of sophisticated printing.   “Even the quality of paper used is very good,” said National Capital Region-CIDG deputy chief Supt. Manuel Pinera.

“But the numbers 500 in the security mark are a little obvious, unlike those in a real bill that are almost imperceptible,” Pinera said.  Espeleta and Rodolfo did not print the bills themselves, the police said. The fake bills were only brought to Espeleta’s home.  One of the suspects got away, Macavinta said.

The police said Espeleta and Rodrigo were distributors of a group that had expanded its operations to Cavite and Laguna.  The two suspects told the Inquirer that a P500 bill was sold for P150 to P200, a P200 bill for P75 to P100 and a P50 bill, P20 to P25.

The police said the group sold most bills to taxi drivers, who would switch them for real money from unwary passengers. Macavinta said, “If a passenger gives (a taxi driver) a P500 bill, (he) would get it, replace it with a counterfeit, which he gives to the passenger, saying he does not have change.”

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