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The Eastern Police District (EPD) on Tuesday arrested a 29-year-old
woman for allegedly claiming to be a “reporter/advertiser” of
The Manila Times and a member of the National Press Club.
Authorities identified the suspect as Elizabeth
Figuerres, a resident of 125 Zenya Street, Barangay Malino, San
Fernando, Pampanga.
EPD Special Project Unit Chief Capt. Wilson
Quilala said the suspect came to them Friday asking for money which
she claims will be used for her ailing child.
“She talks like a mediaman, but we decided to
ask from the nearby press office to verify if she is really a member
of the press. When she heard we would verify her status, she told us
she would just come back on Tuesday. That was then that we decided
to set up a minor entrapment procedure,” Quilala said in Filipino.
Apparently, the Department of Education was also
targeted by Figuerres.
In an interview, Education Assistant Secretary
Teodisio Sangil said the suspect also approached him Friday, saying
that she did not ask for anything else but money.
“Figuerres said that she needs P16,000 every
other day to sustain the medicine bills for her child,” said
Sangil, adding that the suspect failed to show them documents
supporting her claims.
“She also came here last December. When we
gave her a basket of fruits, he asked us why there was no money
enclosed? We started to doubt her when we asked her to write a
letter [for her monetary request]. She didn’t know how to use a
computer and her grammar is a disgrace,” said Sangil.
In her statement, the suspect admitted that she
is not a member of the Press club and a reporter of The Times. She,
however, claimed that she is a contributor for advertisements for
The Times.
But upon verification with the management of The
Times, it was learned Figuerres is not in anyway connected with the
newspaper.
Press Club President Benny Antiporda said
they are ready to file charges against Figuerres, saying that the
group needs to set an example to individuals posing as newsmen.
“This is the start of our drive to clean the
name of the mediamen. We are now coordinating with police and other
government agencies to report these incidents,” said Antiporda.
Charges of swindling will also be filed against
Figuerres before the fiscal of Pasig City.
--James Konstantin Galvez
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