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OF  swindlers AND THEIR  PREYS 

Chief Cook Ramon Camu  a.ka. Chief Mate Camu	Chief  Mate Ronnie Vergara;  A.KA. Capt. Ronnie Vergara; A.K.A.   Chief Engr. Vergara

A husband and wife tandem who have been evading arrest for victimizing applying seafarers finally ran into a dead end  when authorities nabbed them while on the act of fiddling their unsuspecting preys in an entrapmment operation in Bulacan.

Ramon Camu and his wife was  nabbed by the Presidential Anti-Illegal Recruitment Task Force last  August 10, 2004.

Case investigators Obet dela Cruz and Ignacio Garcia identified the suspects as Ramon and his wife Nelia Camu, both of Pabahay 2000, Barangay Muson, CSSDM, Bulacan.

He was nabbed on complaints of Edward Sadie, 51, radio operator and resident of Sta. Maria, Bulacan.

Sadie told probers that sometime in July 2002, Camu approached him, introduced himself as a Chief Mate and conned him into paying P10,000 for an alleged shipboard employment.

Sadie, knowing that he was old enough and seemingly impossible to get back on a sea-going vessel, took the risk and gave Camu P10,000 as initial payment for his employment in a month’s time.

Sadie immediately handed Camu his original papers including his passport and seaman’s book in hope that he will be able to work onboard again.

However, days passed without good results and everytime he inquired about the status of his employment, the suspect would simply claim that it was already being processed. The last time he gave him money was when the suspect asked grease money for a German visa.

Sadie said the total amount he gave Camu for the processing was P43,000 excluding the appliance and small amount Camu usually asked from him.

His hopes almost crumbled after the POEA told him that Camu and his wife are not employed by any manning agency.

The Presidential Anti Illegal Task Force force wasted no time and nabbed Camu and his wife inside their house in Bulacan.

As this developed, a lot of people victimized by the couple surfaced recently upon knowing their arrest.Among them are Alvin Jover who said that Camu identified himself as chief mate working on board Trans-Global Maritime vessels. Another victim, Mr.Fernando Tianan  said Camu promised to employ him in one of the vessels of FAME members.

Authorities said the suspects also have warrant of arrests in Bulacan, Pasig and other areas for victimizing at least 20 persons.

SEAFARERS  BEWARE

Beware of this fellow who  masquerade as Chief Mate Ronie Vergara, Captain. Demosthenes Vergara or Chief Engineer Vergara. He is still active and the next victim could be you.He is constantly changing aliases to elude arrest. 

The modus operandi of this fellow is to gain access to shipping/manning companies. Once inside, he familiarizes himself with the names and positions of office personnel involved in recruitment. He will then introduce himself to applying seamen either as an office staff or someone close to the boss and offers to check the applicants’ Seaman’s Book and Passport if they are complete and/or up to date. Once the documents are in his possession, he volunteers to have them photocopied to expedite their processing in the office. After this, he may disappear and return the documents but without the US visa,  which he has removed. 

On November 20, 2000, at about noon, in the premises of Teekay Shipping Phils., Inc. located at Seaboard Center, Esteban cor. Dela Rosa Sts., Legaspi Village, Makati City, he was spotted by some of his victims. 

When he was recognized by two of his previous victims, who were in the same premises at that time, he immediately left. He was likewise identified by a KGJSM utility as the same person who victimized an applicant on Nov. 9, 2000, at their office, located at 116 Herrera St., Legaspi Village, Makati City.

He was  collared by seafarers near the KGJSM office and was turned over to the Makati police. But a check at the police precinct where he was supposed to have been taken turned out that he was able “to negotiate” for his release. 

UFS is also calling on those who were victimzed by the suspects to coordinate with its office to pin down the suspect for good. 

LIFE IS NOT SO EASY 
AT  EASWAYS 

IT was featured in the Magandang Gabi Bayan last Oct. 16 that more than 10 complainants sought their assistance to retrieve their money which they have given to top officials of Easways Marine Incorporated. 

Most of them came from far-flung areas of Pangasinan, where the owners of Easways hailed. 

The complainants said they were exacted P18,000 for the issuance of their seaman’s identification and record book (SIRB) and another P20,000 for the processing of their papers. 

Most of them have already mortgaged their land and sold some of their properties.

One strange thing is that they were issued their SIRB before they received their training certificates. 

Tinig ng Marino is shocked to know about this mysterious transaction. 

Are the seamen’s books authentic or fake? 

Dilemma seems to hound Easways Marine Inc. as another two complainants came forward to the office of Tinig ng Marino last Oct. 19 to air their complaints against the agency. 

Chief Engr. Manuel Tuzon and Pumpman Humber Espinosa, crewmembers of the M.T. Bab al Yemen said Easways still have to pay them their respective allotments and leave pays. 

Tuzon, who hails from Ilocos Sur, said he has yet to receive his leave payments for the months of November 2003, December 2003, January 2004 and February 2004 amounting to $1,000. He is also waiting for the agency to pay him his leave pay of $500 (March and April 2004); self allotment of $500 (March and April 2004) and wife allotment of $2,040 (March and April 2004).  He has yet to receive also from the said agency $4,154 or 80 percent of his pay on board for the months of May 2004, June 2004 and July 2004. 

Tuzon added that he called up the owner of Easways Marine Inc. Mrs. Rossana Enriquez to inquire about his March and April wife allotment, self allotment and leave payments and was allegedly told that his principal (OSSCO Yemen) hasn’t forwarded the said remittance to the agency. On his second telephone inquiry, Mrs. Enriquez allegedly said that they were still processing his remittances. 

The chief engineer produced a letter from his principal OSSCO Yemen sta-  ting   they already remitted their crew allotment pay.  Up to now he has yet to receive all the above amounts intended for him. 

Pumpman Espinosa, from Iloilo, has yet to receive his $3,492 collectibles from the same agency. His total collectibles represents his 80 percent pay salary for the months of May, June, July and August 2004 and his leave pay for six months including March and April.

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