NBI nabs 3 in P2-million fake land title scam in Zambales

Olongapo City, Zambales — Three individuals were arrested for syndicated swindling, falsification of public and official documents, and use of falsified documents in Olongapo City on 18 September 2025.

According to the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) Olongapo District Office (OLDO), a complaint was filed against Mary Paz Felonia Leonardo, who allegedly assumed the identity of the rightful owner of a lot in Subic, Zambales.

Complainants discovered that the land titles they received, each worth P2 million, were fake.

Together with her alleged accomplices, Glenda G. Olea and Angelie V. Antinez, Leonardo was attempting to sell the same property to another potential victim using a different counterfeit title. The victims immediately reported the matter to the NBI-OLDO.

Verification from the Register of Deeds confirmed that both the title conveyed to the complainant and the one being offered to the new victim were falsified. This led the NBI-OLDO to conduct an entrapment operation on 18 September, which resulted in the arrest of Leonardo and her two alleged confederates. The three were caught in flagrante delicto receiving the entrapment money from the victim.

The suspects were presented for inquest proceedings on the reported violations.