Bacolod City Police Discover Counterfeit P500 Bills, Submit to Central Bank for Scrutiny

BACOLOD CITY— The Bacolod City Police Office (BCPO) has submitted PHP8,000 worth of counterfeit P500 bills to the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) following their discovery in a local market. This action comes as part of a broader effort to clamp down on the circulation of fake currency in the area.

According to Philippines News Agency, the bank notes, submitted for verification by Police Staff Sgt. John Mark Ardiente of Police Station 6, were confirmed to be counterfeit. “The notes enumerated are declared counterfeit,” stated Abraham Serantes, acting manager at BSP Bacolod.

The counterfeit currency, consisting of 16 P500 bills bearing only four serial numbers, was found in a wallet left at Libertad Market, triggering alerts from Mayor Alfredo Abelardo Benitez about the prevalence of fake money in circulation. The discovery was initially made by a market supervisor, who noted complaints from both customers and vendors about the fraudulent bills.

Among those affected were vendors Teresita Catedrelia and Joey Javines, who reportedly received the counterfeit money as part of daily transactions. Mayor Benitez emphasized the importance of vigilance among the community and assured ongoing police investigations to track down those responsible for the distribution of the counterfeit notes.