Trike driver faces rap for fabricating ‘holdup’ yarn

By Felipe V Celino

ROXAS CITY,  CAPIZ – A tricycle driver is facing criminal charges for fabricating a story that he lost P9,600 to three unidentified persons who allegedly robbed him early Friday morning in Barangay Cabugao here.

Police Colonel Francisco Paguia, Roxas Component City Police Station chief, said appropriate charges are being studied and prepared to be filed against Mark Anthony Ordoña, 33, of Barangay Banica here.

Paguia said that Ordoña created alarm among the people of Roxas City and wasted government resources and efforts in investigating the alleged incident. It also tainted the image of the city as a peaceful place.

Recently, the Roxas City Component Police Station was adjudged best performing police station in Western Visayas and 2nd runner-up in the national category.

Paguia added that Ordoña made the police believe that he was robbed and even showed the injuries he suffered from the purported hold-uppers.

Ordoña later recanted his story after CCTV footage proved that no robbery happened at the purported scene of the incident. Several witnesses corroborated the footage.

Ordoña reported to the police that one of three unidentified suspects pointed a sharp object at him while the other punched his head.

He claimed that the money he lost was sent to him by his wife, who was working abroad, for payment of the lot they bought.

Ordoña admitted that he fabricated the hold-up story as he cannot justify to his wife how he lost the money. He claimed that the injury he suffered was self-inflicted by hitting his head on a lamppost before proceeding to the police station.