BACOLOD CITY – The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) is tracing the whereabouts of a Chinese-looking woman who allegedly collected the sensitive information of residents here recently.
Lawyer Jose Gabriel Jr., NBI-Bacolod executive officer, in a media interview, said they are trying to locate her address to enable them to issue a subpoena.
Gabriel said they went to her rented apartment but she was not there. They also visited her store in a mall here, but according to her staff, she has not visited them after the news broke out linking her to the incident.
“Hindi pa namin siya ma-locate (We cannot locate her),” he said.
The unauthorized collection of sensitive data was first reported in Barangay Estefania early this month, prompting the police to verify the information and identify the woman.
Police considered her as a Filipino in the meantime based on the documents she presented as they continue to verify her identity.
The woman was allegedly taking photos of some individuals here and their identification cards (IDs) in exchange for P100 to P400 supposedly for e-wallet transactions.
This alarmed authorities as this might be used for ill purposes. There were no complainants initially because the individuals gave the woman consent to get their information. Police are trying to identify the persons whom the woman had transacted with to enable them to act accordingly.
Gabriel said they have taken statements of 11 out of the 13 individuals who have allegedly transacted with the woman. He added that they are now preparing their complaint-affidavits.
This development came after the agency explained to these individuals the possible consequences of disclosing their information. “They eventually cooperate, and did not hesitate because it’s for their protection in case their IDs will be used for illegal activities,” Gabriel said.
He said that they are trying to establish the identity of the woman’s alleged male companion.
Mayor Albee Benitez has expressed concern over the matter and directed the City Legal Office (CLO) to conduct a thorough investigation.