‘Budol-budol’ strikes anew

Police officials here in Tagbilaran City again warned the public on the presence of petty street criminals, including sweet-talking swindlers popularly known as “budol-budol gang” who are on the prowl for their next victims.

A 60-year old woman, identified as Flora Virtudazo, a city resident, was the recent victim of a “rich-looking” woman who approached the victim who was buying vegetables along E. Jacinto Street, this city, saying she was a close friend of the victim’s daughter and asked for her help.

The suspect was able to convince the victim to accompany her to a van where the suspect sweet-talked the old lady into giving her pieces of jewelries including a ring, earrings, necklace and her bag containing cash.

In exchange, the suspect asked the victim to take hold of her pack containing “bundles” of money and that she entrusted the old lady of said money until they meet again at the victim’s house, which the suspect claims she have been to being a close friend of the victim’s daughter.

For some reason, the unwitting victim agreed to swap her valuables and supposedly agreed to keep the other woman’s bag with bundles of cash in her care.

It was only later on that the victim realized that the bundles of money in the bag were just wads of paper cut in the size of peso bills.

Similar incidents have victimized unwitting victims who were left waiting for hours by their swindlers with a bag full of fake bills in exchange for their valuables or cash.

The Tagbilaran City PNP said the public should be wary of lady “budol-budol” operatives in the city as residents are urged to immediately alarm the police on any suspicious-looking persons and avoid entertaining sweet-talking strangers.