Budol Budol

I read with concern the news item about the swindling of a Bacolod lawyer three days ago. These swindling syndicates, called the Budol-Budol Gang, seem to always get away with the crime. They are such sweet-talkers that their intended victim is immediately disarmed by their charm and gift of the gab.

Their methods and stories are strikingly similar. It's a wonder why there are still so many people who apparently haven't heard about this modus operandi. In fact, someone should write a book on these stories. In case someone out there is documenting these stories, I have one story to tell. This is a true story which happened to a Dumaguete resident, who doesn't want to be identified. Let's call her Gina.

Gina and her husband had been planning to sell their house and lot for some time, and had advertised so on the Internet and on their front gate. One day, a Mr. Jimenez introduced himself indicating his interest.

"Mr. Jimenez" said their property was ideal for his brother-in-law, a sheik from Dubai. He said the sheik would come with his trustee and engineer to look over the place. They came on a Sunday, the sheik in full Arab dress, cutting an impressive figure. He was around 45 years old, very tall and very handsome. He was softspoken and dignified in manner. He said he liked their place.

The trustee, a Danny Liwag, in the course of their conversation, introduced their business. They said they were making plastified lining for damaged pipes. They had a factory in Manila. The Arab boss had many investments and he wanted to invest in Dumaguete. In fact, they were discussing a project on low-cost housing in the City. They needed a place for their office, and for their boss to stay when he visited.

"We agreed to the terms of sale. They were to come back with their lawyer and the Filipina wife after a week to sign the papers. They said they wanted to move in by Dec. 15 and spend their Christmas here," Gina recounted.

Liwag then proceeded to share with the victim that their factory in Manila had a hard time with a supply of raw material, tricresyl phosphate, a plasticiser. The factory of the Chinese supplier of the Seahorse brand had burned down, he said, and they heard that Malaysians had bought all the stock. He asked Gina if she would know who could supply this. The price per box, he said, was P24,000. On top of that, they would give Gina a broker fee of P1,000.

It just so happened that Gina was previously in touch with a man who introduced himself as Ruel Bulatao, a trader. He would be coming the day after. Gina promised that she would ask Ruel. Previously, Bulatao, had also been looking for a lot for his friend, a Filipino trader married to a Malaysian woman.

Bulatao came the following day with a Ronald Villeza. Villeza was interested in the place. His father-in-law, a Malaysian, would finance the lot. And what do you know? They knew where to get the Seahorse plasticiser. They came back and brought a sample right away. It was for P20,000.

Gina later called Liwag, and he was so pleased and thankful Gina found him a supplier. He bought the sample right away. Gina earned P5,000 for that. He then said he needed 1,000 pieces for a year's supply. Gina thought that this was a chance to earn a P5 million profit! "I felt like being caught in a whirlwind. First, the sale of our property for a good price, and now a chance to earn so much money with being a broker. What was the risk? None!"

The trader came on a Wednesday morning without notice. He brought 250 boxes of stock in 50-carton boxes. He said he had gone all the way to Iloilo to get it from other suppliers. Two cartons were from other suppliers, the rest were his. He asked if Gina had the payment especially for the two boxes he had gotten from the other supplier. He wanted P2 million that day.

Villeza looked like the tired supplier who went all day and night to get the stock to supply for the customer. He said had to put the money together that day, at least P500 thousand.

"I did not want to lose the deal. I had succumbed to some kind of avarice. He asked me what I could put together myself. Somehow, I felt some kind of responsibility having put myself in the middle of the transaction. That day, I grudgingly put together almost half of that amount, and gave it to the trader," Gina wrote.

By Friday, nobody came with the money. Liwag said they were delayed in Manila, using a rally as an excuse. It was only by Monday when the parties who were supposed to come to sign for Gina's property deal did not arrive, that she realized she had just been swindled.

Gina shared her story with the hope that the people who read her story will be warned. I hope next time, these swindlers will be stopped in time.*

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