October 27, 2024 | 12:00am
MANILA, Philippines — At least 19 individuals were arrested in an entrapment operation for illegal notary public activities in Quezon City, the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) said on Friday.
The operation stemmed from a complaint filed by the Integrated Bar of the Philippines against suspected illegal notary public allegedly operating within stalls along Congressional Avenue in Barangay Bago Bantay, according to NBI director Jaime Santiago.
Complainants told the NBI that the stalls were being used by non-lawyers to perform notarial acts.
The NBI’s Special Task Force operatives conducted surveillance and undercover operations, which confirmed the presence of illegal notarial activities.
The simultaneous entrapment operation on Oct. 22 led to the arrest of the suspects while they were performing unauthorized notarization.
The arrested individuals – Sherryl Bonifacio, Uldarico Francisco, Chirester Cancino, Lou Anna Acuna, Ellaine Lucena, Chester Adrian Layacan, Violeta Oraa, Jocelyn Concepcion, Thelma Concepcion, Ma. Cholina Torino, Elma Luod, Virginia Concepcion, Eduardo Concepcion, Violeta Fronda, Val Justine Laxamana, Chona Concepcion, Marites Longcop, Christopher Cancino and Marie Antonette Miranda – have been presented for inquest proceedings before the Quezon City prosecutor’s office.
Bonifacio and Francisco are facing charges for violating the Revised Penal Code (RPC)’s Articles 172 (falsification of public documents) and 177 (usurpation of authority).
Meanwhile, Cancino, Acuna and Lucena suspects are facing charges for violating the RPC’s Articles 172, 177 and 315 (estafa), while the remaining 14 suspects – Layacan, Oraa, Torino, Luod, Fronda, Laxamana, Longcop, Miranda, the other Cancino and the five Concepcions – are facing charges of violating Article 315.
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