After 23 years of evading arrest, a former bank employee was arrested in Baguio City in a police operation on June 6.
Personnel of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group-Baguio City and the Police Regional Office conducted the operation leading to the arrest of Josefina Salcedo Lopez, 63, in her residence in Baguio City.
Lopez is accused of violating Section 3 of Republic Act 3019 or the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act with nine counts. She is currently detained at the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology in La Trinidad, Benguet.
Since 1992, Lopez, who was a credit investigator III at the Philippine National Bank La Trinidad branch, took advantage of her position as chair of the bank’s Credit Committee, according to the CIDG’s investigation.
She was accused of giving favors in approving loan applications under the Discounting Line Against Post Dated Checks (DLAPC) without complying to the documentary and collateral requirements of the bank.
The CIDG report stated Lopez had been dispensing favors to certain loan applicants until 1998.
While she was being presented at the La Trinidad Justice Hall, the CIDG unit served four more warrants of arrest against Lopez with 77 counts for the same violation. – Ofelia C. Empian
