In an entrapment operation put in place by the Valenzuela City Philippine National Police (PNP)- Station Investigation Unit (SIU) and the Detective Management Unit (DMU), Aldrin Romero was arrested for estafa through falsification of public documents, February 23, 2018.

The fake Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN) ID was discovered when Russel Gunsales and Virginia Satumcacal, residents of barangay Parada, went to the City Social Welfare and Development Office (CSWDO) to ask for burial assistance for her deceased son and submitted the said ID.

“Napansin kong iba ang kulay ng ID at 2013 ang nakalagay na issuance pero mukhang bagong-bago, (I noticed that the ID’s color is different (from the original) and the issuance year was 2013 but it looks newly made),” said Rodelio Pactao, CSWDO staff. Upon the discovery, CSWDO asked for the Valenzuela City PNP’s assistance to verify the authentication of the submitted IDs.

According to Gunsales she paid Romero 200 pesos for the ID but said she doesn’t know that it was fake.

During the entrapment operation, PO1 Kolleen Primo of DMU carried the marked money and acted as a poseur client accompanied by witness Satumcacal. With the go signal of PO1 Primo, officers effected the arrest of Romero.

In his defense, Romero said forging IDs and documents was not his full-time job, “ginagawa ko lang po ‘yun para tumulong. Video and Photo Coverage po talaga ang trabaho ko (I only do that to be of help. Video and Photo Coverage is my real job),” he said.

Some of the evidences recovered from Romero’s shop, Aldtes Studio Digital Photo Video Coverage, were a Viewsonic monitor, Samsung CPU, iron plate laminating machine and a Canon IP 2770 printer.

SIU head PSI Jose Hizon warned the public not to fall for convenient processing of fake IDs, “only transact with government agencies when acquiring these IDs. And to those who make document and ID forging their business, we will make sure that you will be apprehended.”

The arrested suspect is presently under the police authority while proper charges are being readied.