BAGUIO CITY - The Baguio Market Plaza Cooperative (BAMAPCO) has warned all vendors in the public market through its public address system to be on guard and vigilant on an alleged syndicate making use of fake P1,000 peso bills in the city.

This was after two vendors reported that they were victimized Tuesday.

Aling Carmen, one of the victims, said that when she heard the warning, she immediately inspected the one-thousand peso bill used by a costumer to pay for P100 worth of strawberries. To her surprise, she discovered that the P1,000 bill was made out of mere coupon bond paper.

“That was when I discovered that it was fake, it was a far cry from a real P1,000 (bill),” Aling Carmen narrated.

After a while, the same costumer returned to buy another P100 worth of strawberries using another P1,000 bill.

“I did not let go her, I held on to her and took her to the precinct,” Aling Carmen added.

Subsequently, while inside the police outpost, another vendor named Aling Corazon came to the Market Task Force Police Office and identified the costumer to be the same person who similarly victimized her. Other public vendors victimized in the past months as well crowded the police office.

Meanwhile, the police officers obtained affidavits from the victims. They said they are now studying the appropriate case to be filed against the suspect.

“We are still consulting the prosecutors...probably estafa or use of counterfeit bills would be the charges that would be filed,” explained Police Officer 3 Rodolfo Yoyog.

The police said it will continue operations for the immediate arrest of the other members of the alleged syndicate.

The nabbed suspect meanwhile refused to identify herself.