Afraid of his wife’s fury, a man who allegedly lost big in an online gambling game known as “scatter” faked a holdup story in an attempt to cover up his losses, the Manila Police District (MPD) said.
The man went to MPD Station 1 and reported to Station Commander Lt. Co. Ronald De Leon that he had been robbed in Ermita, Manila.
Personnel from MPD Station 1, led by De Leon, coordinated with Station 5 under Lt. Col. June Paolo Abrazado to verify the report.
As part of their “bilis-kilos” response, authorities conducted CCTV backtracking in the area where the alleged holdup supposedly took place.
However, the investigation yielded no evidence of any such incident.
Police said the supposed complaint turned out to be fabricated, despite the time and resources poured into the joint operation of Station 1 and Station 5.
Authorities later tracked down the complainant and brought him back to MPD Station 1, where he admitted that the holdup claim was made up.
The man apologized, confessing he lost about P65,000 in “scatter” and feared his wife’s reaction.
De Leon issued a stern warning to the public not to imitate such acts, stressing that false reports waste the time and effort of police officers who are on duty 24/7 to ensure public safety.
The man may face charges for unjust vexation, while police are studying other possible legal actions against him. (Diann Calucin)
