Charges filed vs. concert organizer for alleged estafa, extortion

Syndicated estafa and robbery-extortion charges were filed by the Quezon City Police District – Criminal Investigation and Detection Unit (QCPD-CIDU) operatives against an estafa queen posing as a concert organizer.

QCPD-CIDU chief P/Maj. Don Don Llapitan said that the charges were slapped against Glenda Alvera Navarro, 54, owner of NEUWAVE Events and Production Inc., and a resident of No. 66, Naranghita, Quirino 2-A, Project 2, Quezon City. Her cohorts are still at large.

Llapitan said the suspect enticed police officer Matthew Bagtas Fajardo and businessman Bryan Dignadice Chua to invest in their company, NEUWAVE Events and Production Inc. The victims entrusted an amount of P23,000,000 and P28,600,000, respectively, lured by promises of attractive returns on their investments.

The suspect issued postdated checks, assuring the victims of a 50 percent return on investment and guaranteed interest. However, the checks issued by the suspect were dishonored; hence, the victims demanded the return of their invested funds. When complainant Chua called the suspect to return his money, the suspect got angry and threatened Chua and his family, stating that she has a connection in Malacañang and at the Bureau of Immigration.

The suspect further asked Fajardo to invest an additional amount of P16,000,000 in a KBLAST concert scheduled on 24 November 2023. However, the victim declined, stating that he had already invested a lot of his money and citing the dishonored bank checks as a major concern. This made the suspect angry and threatened Fajardo that she would do everything to remove him as a police officer since she has connections in Malacañang, prompting the victims to report the incident to the CIDU.

Acting on the report, CIDU initiated an entrapment operation on 2 November 2023 at 8:00 p.m. inside Mr. Kebab, located at No. 33, Kalayaan Avenue, Diliman, Quezon City, which resulted in the arrest of the suspect and the recovery of the demanded money, along with a BDO check.

She was then brought to the QCPD-Forensic Unit to undergo an ultra-violet fluorescence powder test, which led to a positive result.

A manhunt operation is being conducted for the possible arrest of her cohorts.

Navarro was charged with syndicated estafa which is a non-bailable offense and two counts of robbery extortion before the Quezon City Prosecutor's Office, while the charges for 22 counts of violation of B.P. 22, also known as the Anti-Bouncing Check Law, were referred for further investigation. Meanwhile, syndicated estafa will be filed against her six cohorts.

"The QCPD is dedicated to protecting the rights and interests of the public kung kayat hinihikayat namin ang publiko na maging mapanuri sa pagtingin sa mga investment opportunities. Alamin ang detalye, suriin ang mga legal na dokumento, at tuklasin ang background ng nag-aalok bago maglagak ng pera. Ito ay para maiiwasan natin ang mga posibleng scam at masisigurado natin na ang ating pera ay mapupunta sa tamang investment", P/Brig.Gen. Redrico Maranan QCPD Director emphasized.