A 58-year-old businesswoman was arrested by operatives of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) Lapu-Lapu City Field Unit in an entrapment operation in sitio Libo, Barangay Tayod, Consolacion, Cebu after allegedly offering a property in Carcar to a buyer for P40 million without authority to sell.
The CIDG identified the suspect as alias ‘Fannie,’ a widow and resident of Barangay Palanas, Ronda, Cebu.
The operation is in line with the CIDG’s flagship project, “OLEA,” an entrapment operation targeting alleged estafa under Article 315 of the Revised Penal Code.
According to authorities, the operation was initiated after a prospective buyer named Vange complained about an alleged fake or fraudulent land transaction in Proper Bonsai, Barangay Bolinawan, Carcar City, Cebu.
CIDG said the suspect allegedly offered the land for P40 million and has already received a large amount as a down payment from the buyer.
However, the CIDG said it received information that the property may have already been sold or transferred to another person.
Fannie, meanwhile, presented documents as proof that the land was still in her name and that she could still sell it.
The CIDG coordinated with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources Community Environment and Natural Resources Office (DENR-CENRO) to verify the ownership and status of the property, including the authenticity of the documents presented.
Based on certification from DENR-Argao CENRO, the said land is covered by Free Patent Application No. 072214-217 in the name of Fannie.
However, the certification also stated that no patent had been issued for that property at the time of verification.
The arrested individual said that she did not sell land that did not belong to her and that she had already spent a lot of money to get it registered.
“Nangita ko og paagi para maka-transfer or maka-process ko ug maka-register nangita ko og kwarta, nangutang para makakuha ko anang yutaa,” Fannie said.
She added that the title to the property is still pending.
During the entrapment operation, a P1,000 bill used as dusted money, a bundle of paper representing P1 million, a Starbucks paper bag, a PSBank check, two types of ID, a Tecno smartphone, and a Contract to Sell were recovered from the suspect.
The authorities added that Fannie was previously arrested through a warrant of arrest for alleged estafa under Article 315, Paragraph 2(D) of the Revised Penal Code and was listed as a Regional Most Wanted Person Level 6.
The police have prepared the documents for the submission of the appropriate criminal complaint to the Cebu Provincial Prosecutor’s Office for inquest proceedings. Meanwhile, the arrested person is currently detained at the Custodial Facility of CIDG-7.