GUIMARAS gubernatorial candidate Margarita “Maggie” Cacho, a distant relative of First Lady Liza Marcos, was released from police custody last Wednesday, a day after she and a cohort were arrested for swindling or estafa.
Police investigators filed charges against Cacho and Cayetano Leal last Tuesday, said Maj. Gen. Nicolas Torre III, director of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG).
“We charged them with estafa on Tuesday and they were released after they posted bail of P24,000 on Wednesday,” said Torre.
Lt. Col. Arnel Solis, spokesman of the Western Visayas police regional office, said the two were released at around 6 p.m.
The two were arrested by operatives of the CIDG in Barangay Sabang in Sibunag town in an entrapment operation.
Also arrested were two Philippine Coast Guard members — Apprentice Seaman Marwin Parpan, 31, and Seaman Second Class Rico Mayland, 21. Seized from them were two cal. 45 pistols with ammunition.
Solis said the PCG members were charged with violation of Republic Act 10591 (Comprehensive Firearms and Ammunition Regulation Act), in relation to the Commission on Elections gun ban.
The CIDG earlier said Cacho, who claimed to be a first cousin of the First Lady, misrepresented herself to a complainant as having influence over the approval of government projects, specifically a Private Motor Vehicle Inspection Center emission testing project with the Department of Transportation (DOTr) for a fee of P800,000 to P1 million.
It said the complainant gave the suspect P400,000 in advance payment to secure the emission testing project on September 26 last year. Despite the delivery of the money, the suspect failed to fulfill her promise.
The victim later found out from the DOTr that Cacho “has no connection with the agency,” the CIDG said. This prompted the victim to seek assistance from authorities.
The CIDG said the suspect contacted the victim earlier this month to ask for an additional P400,000 payment “to expedite the proposed project” at her residence, leading to the entrapment operation.
Yesterday, Torre said Cacho is indeed a relative of the First Lady.
“She is a distant relative. She has a blood relation (with the First Lady), that’s why she’s so confident. She thought she would be tolerated,” said Torre.
Torre said information about the swindling activities of Cacho actually came from Malacanang.
“(Her activities) came to the attention of Malacanang and the Office of the Special Envoy on Transnational Crime (OSETC) was instructed to look into it. Consequently, OSECT coordinated with us and we built a case that culminated in the entrapment operation,” said Torre.
Torre said the CIDG came across the complainant while they were looking into the swindling activities of Cacho. “We arranged the entrapment operation and arrested Maggie Castro after receiving P400,000,” said Torre.
“This is a directive from the Palace,” said Torre, referring to the operation against Cacho.
Cacho is running for Guimaras governor in the coming elections as an independent.
Her lone opponent is Guimaras Congresswoman Ma. Lucille Nava who is running under the National Unity Party. Nava is the wife of incumbent Guimaras Gov. JC Rahman Nava.
