Seller of land with 'fake title' arrested in Santiago City
A seller of a piece of land with alleged fake title has been arrested by the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) in Santiago City in Isabela.
In a statement, the NBI said that the suspect – a woman whose name was withheld – was arrested during an entrapment operation conducted by the Isabela District Office (NBI-ISDO).
It said the operation was conducted after the NBI-ISDO received a complaint on an alleged fraudulent house and lot purchase agreement involving a 400 square meters of land in Cordon town for P1,500,000.
The complainant alleged that she had remitted P160,000 to the suspect but a check later conducted with the Registry of Deeds of Santiago City showed there was no such title covering the subject property.
An investigation conducted by the NBI in coordination with the Provincial Registry of Deeds of Isabela also showed there was no land title covering the property.
At the same time, the NBI said there was no petition for reconstitution of the alleged title filed by the suspect or by any other purported claimant.
When the suspect persistently demanded that P290,000 be remitted last July 10, the NBI hatched the entrapment operation that led to the arrest.
The NBI said three criminal charges were filed against the suspect before the Office of the City Prosecutor of Santiago City for violation of Article 315, paragraph 2(a) of the Revised Penal Code, in relation to Republic Act No. 10175, the Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012); estafa through falsification of public documents; and falsification by a private individual.
It said the suspect executed a waiver and manifested her right to undergo preliminary investigation.