By Kristine Joy V. Patag
Reporter

TWO individuals were arrested by government authorities for allegedly tricking people into donating to Yolanda victims, the Department of Justice (DoJ) bared on Tuesday.

In a statement yesterday, Justice Secretary Vitaliano N. Aguirre II said Desiderio T. Estinozo and Nestor O. Lehetemas were arrested by National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) Anti-Fraud Division Operatives in Malate, Manila for fraud.

“Based on the information provided to us by the NBI, the subjects are the alleged perpetrators of fraudulent acts involving around €100,000.00 or Php 6,000,000.00,” Mr. Aguirre said in the statement.

According to the DoJ, Messrs. Estinozo and Lehetemas hacked the email addresses of the Philippine Partnership for the Development of Human Resources in Rural Areas or PhilDHRRA, a network of Non-Government Organizations (NGOs), and Fundacion InteRed, a Spanish NGO, both of which are raising funds for Typhoon Yolanda-affected areas.

The agreement between the agencies said that Fundacion InteRed will provide funding for the project of PhilDHRRA that will help in repairing and rehabilitating damaged structures in three (3) island barangays in Guiuan, Eastern Samar.

But the DoJ said the suspects “were able to cause an amendment to the Memorandum of Agreement to facilitate a change in the banks involved in the fund transfer arrangement from the bank account of PhilDHRRA to the account of DTE Construction and Development Corporation in Cebu City.”

The DoJ also said a case for Estafa was filed against DTE Corporation and its president.

The warrant of arrest was issued by Davao City Regional Trial Court Branch 17.

Messrs. Estinozo and Lehetemas were brought to the NBI Headquarters in Manila for booking procedures.

Mr. Aguirre for his part said: “I commend the efforts exerted by our NBI agents involved in this case for their arrests of the respondents. Now we can make the wheels of justice move faster.”

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