We can see in the Gospel of Saint Luke the word “Theophilus.” Interestingly, Theophilus is a Greek name meaning “friend of God.”

What about us? Today, we read the same words that Luke wrote to Theophilus — that the Gospel is based on the accounts of eyewitnesses who could be trusted and that what was written down was true. Do we believe it or not?

Meanwhile, under the leadership of NBI Director Jaime B. Santiago, operatives of the NBI-Cybercrime Division (CCD) and NBI-Special Task Force (STF) augmented the Bureau of Immigration (BI) in carrying out a mission order at the RI Rance Corporate Center II, Aseana City, Tambo, Parañaque City where they arrested 12 Chinese nationals for scamming activities.

The NBI also arrested five Filipinos for attempting to bribe the arresting officers.

The raided offices exhibited a fully operational scam hub. The desktops were examined by NBI-CCD digital forensic agents who found romance or love scam scripts, messaging apps with fictitious accounts, evidence of bank and cryptocurrency account scams, as well as fake investment schemes.

The arrested Chinese nationals were Wang Qin Xiang, Qixin Wang, Xu Chao, Meng Wei Shi, Xing Chao, Qin Hai Feng, Li Xiang Hua, Zhang Wei, Wang Jia Fa, Jiang Qi Long, Luo Shang Fen, and Chen Jiang Song.

As the NBI operatives were preparing to return to their office with the suspects, a Chinese-Filipino, Ezechiel Bernales, arrived and claimed he was the suspects’ official interpreter.

Ezechiel told the NBI operatives that Wang Qin Xiang and Qixin Wang were offering to pay P300,000 for each arrested individual, or a total of P3,600,000, for the release of the 12. The operatives agreed but their real intent was to set a trap.

An entrapment operation was then hatched to arrest the persons who would be bringing the money. In the afternoon of 10 January, three cars arrived at the NBI second floor parking lot. One of the drivers handed over to an operative a black eco bag containing P900,000.

CCD operatives who were strategically positioned around the parking lot then arrested the driver identified as Robustiano Hizon, along with his companions identified as John Abunda Villanueva, Kristoffer Ryan Habelito Baguna, and Hanif Mala Bautil.

The 12 Chinese nationals were presented for inquest before the City Prosecutor’s Office of Parañaque City on computer-related forgery charges under Republic Act 10175, the Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012; and for social engineering schemes and economic sabotage under RA 12010, the Anti-Financial Account Scamming Act, in relation to RA 10175.

The five Filipinos were presented for inquest before the City Prosecutor Office of Pasay City on the charge of Corruption of Public Officials under the Revised Penal Code.