Two men mobbed, nabbed for paying fake money to store

By Glazyl Y. Masculino

BACOLOD City – Two persons suffered minor injuries after they were mobbed by some residents for allegedly paying fake money bills to a sari-sari store in Barangay Alijis here last Tuesday.

Police later arrested Ericson Garde, 44, and Deogracias Ilustracion, 39, both residents of Barangay Taculing here.

Captain Andy Ofalia, head of Police Station 7, said the two suspects were busted after the elderly storekeeper checked their money using a detector.

The storekeeper told her son about the fake bill and the latter asked assistance from their neighbors.

The residents then mobbed the two suspects until police responded and pacified the commotion.

“Nakibot sila (suspects), amo to gin pulihan na sila,” Ofalia said.

Ofalia said eight sachets of suspected shabu worth P34,000 were recovered from Garde, while a .38-caliber revolver with three live ammunition was confiscated from Ilustracion.

Also recovered from them were a digital weighing scale, a motorcycle, and the P2,000 fake money.

Ofalia said that some residents told the police that there were previous cases of persons using fake money in the village.

However, they could not identify if these persons could be the same individuals who were arrested.

Ofalia said they will check the background of the suspects as they prepare the filing of cases against them.