THREE suspected swindlers allegedly posing as fraternity members were caught by security personnel inside the University at around 6 p.m. last July 4.
Suspects Jeffrey Arcan, 28, Marvin Garcia and Mike Mallari, both 18, presented themselves to freshmen Ehrlichristian Cuaresma and Khris Marlowe Violago from the Faculty of Pharmacy and Jacy Jimenez, a student from De La Salle University, as members of the Alpha Phi Omega (APO) fraternity in separate incidents on the same day.
As modus operandi, the suspects asked their victims to fetch their “sister” at the UST Grandstand because they feared a clash with a rival fraternity. They also insisted that the students leave their valuables as collaterals to ensure that the students would help them.
The security personnel had been observing the incident and eventually arrested the suspects as the students were handing their possessions to them.
The suspects were brought to the University Belt Area Police Precinct where other victims identified them. They were later sent to Western police District Station 4 in Balic-Balic, Sampaloc, Manila.
A fourth member of the group, allegedly named Vincent, escaped with Violago’s bag, which contained his PE uniform. The other students, on the other hand, recovered their possessions.
“There had been similar incidents outside the University reported by our students and there were two similar cases reported last semester,” Security Affairs detachment commander Clemente Dingayan said.
He added that the incidents usually happen at the start of the school year with freshmen as the usual victims.
The Alpha Phi Omega Fraternity, meanwhile, denied that the three were its members. Edsel Van d.T. Dura and Jianne d.L. Yamzon
