Criminal Investigation and Detection Group-Bacolod men arrested a couple in an entrapment operation at about 6 p.m. Saturday inside a mall in Bacolod City for alleged swindling.

Arrested were Jesus Tanaman, 41, and his common-law-wife Estelita Gadong, 57, both of Brgy. Divina Colonia, Sagay City, Negros Occidental, CIDG Bacolod head Chief Insp. Lyndel Grace Lumawag said.

Lumawag said that the two were arrested after one of their victims sought the help of CIDG, saying that the two borrowed money from her in the guise that they will pay her once they got their price from the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office for winning the lottery.

Lumawag added that after the arrest of the suspects, more complainants came to their office at San Juan Street in Bacolod claiming that the couple swindled them.

She said her operatives recovered lottery tickets, newspapers baring the alleged winning number combination of the lottery, plane tickets, several documents and undetermined cash.

The complainant, a manager of an appliance center and who asked that her identity be withheld, told the DAILY STAR that she met Gadong because the latter’s sister was her free lance agent.

She said that Gadong and her other sister asked her to lend them money so that they could also bring their niece to Manila to claim their P43 million price for winning the lottery and will just repay her.

When they were allegedly in Manila, Gadong was calling the victim and told her that a syndicate was running after them.

Several days later, Tanaman and Gadong returned to Bacolod and again went to the victim and borrowed money so they could “rescue” Gadong’s sister and niece.

However, since the victim already had doubts, she instead coordinated with the CIDG and had the couple arrested.

Another victim, 54, of Brgy. Alijis said she met Gadong on Nov 2004, where she borrowed about P68,000 from her and promised to repay her double once they got their price from the PCSO for winning the lottery.

Aside from the “lotto winner modus”, the suspects also claim that they are here in Bacolod to claim the benefits of Gadong’s father from the Social Security System in the amount of P1.3 million.

One of the victims said that the couple introduced themselves as farmers and stayed in her house since June this year and borrowed P40,000 from her saying that they would double it once they got the money from the SSS.

The couple also borrowed P10,000 from Tanaman’s nephew and P20,000 from his boss claiming that they will pay them after the release of their money from the SSS.

While admitting that they got money from Tanaman’s nephew and his boss, the couple denied the accusations of other victims.

The couple, who are now detained at the lock-up cell of Station 1, will be facing charges for large scale estafa.*APN

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