SINABI ni Presidential Spokesperson at Chief Presidential Legal Counsel Salvador Panelo na dapat magsilbing babala ang pagkakaaresto sa isang suspek na nagpanggap bilang siya.
“The person who has been swindling people misrepresenting himself to be me has been arrested in Cebu City last week. And this should serve as a warning to all that the law will always catch up on you people who misrepresents and commit fraud,” sabi ni Panelo.
Ito’y matapos maaresto ang isang Jose Villafuerte matapos ang isinagawang entrapment operation kung saan nagtangka itong mangikil ng P500,000 gamit ang pangalan ni Panelo.
“And of course also caution to those subject of deceit to be more careful and if you think that you are talking to somebody you thought you knew the best way is to call that person. Because when they communicate they use Facebook account so you don’t see the face or twitter or messenger. So the best way is to call,” dagdag ni Panelo.
Gumawa si Villafuerte ng pekeng Facebook account gamit ang pangalan ni Panelo.
Idinagdag ni Panelo na isa lamang si Villafuerte na ginagamit ang kanyang pangalan para manloko.
“Like in my case… for instance, in my case one of them said that I was asking for some donations. So they will call friends of mine who are wealthy people and will pretend that I am the person asking for donations, that’s one; another one naman iyong iba naman involved yata sa… nakakulong iyong kanilang spouse, relative or children and they will say na… kunwari ako daw iyong nagsasabi, ‘Oh gawan natin ng paraan, puwede nating ipa-release iyan with an amount involved.’ Oh eh ‘di iyon namang ano na gustong ma-release iyong kanilang… or ma-pardon, magbibigay, magde-deposit ng pera. And they always using the bank, they will never appear,” ayon pa kay Panelo.
Sinabi ni Panelo na maging si dating senador Jinggoy Estrada ay naging biktima ng panggagamit ng kanyang pangalan.
“The last person who was subject of that was Jinggoy Estrada, he told me. I met him in a birthday party and he said, ‘Sec., hindi pala ikaw iyon? Akala ko ikaw iyon eh. Kaya lang nagduda ako noong… when I was asking for your personal number, hindi niya maibigay.’ So sabi ko… fraud,” ayon pa kay Panelo.