By AARON RECUENCO
Sweet memories of summer hangouts and romance only made Badette (not her real name) desperately wanting to be on the warm and comforting arms of her ex-boyfriend again.
So when she posted hugot lines on her Facebook account, which brokenhearted netizens sometimes do, one hot day in April this year, she took it an instant answered prayer after someone commented that she could win him back through a love potion.
Badette believed it. She wished for it. And did everything to have it, at all cost.
Still broken-hearted but now with empty purse, Badette is now regretting, and wondering, how in the world did she fall on that scam.
Here’s what happened, according to Chief Supt. Guillermo Eleazar, director of the National Capital Region Police Office NCRPO), based on the story of Badette, a 26-year old native of Pasay City.
Shortly after suspect 29-year old Jhane Mendoza commented on Badette’s post that she knew someone who could concoct a powerful love potion, the latter immediately initiated a private message in the Messenger that eventually led to a transaction.
“After that, this suspect Jhane Mendoza started asking for initial payment for the process of making the love potion and practice of ‘orasyon’ to which the victim agreed,” said Eleazar.
On April 25, Eleazar said the victim sent R2,718.66 as payment for purchase of all the instrument needed for the love potion or ‘orasyon’ procedure.
The victim even went to the house of Mendoza at AGL Heights in Barangay Nancayasan in Urdaneta City, Pangasinan to provide a small pot and other things, which include personal belongings of her ex-boyfriend, to make it very effective.
Badette thought that it would be enough but a few days later, nothing happened.
It was then that the suspect informed her that the potion probably did not work since the person who concocted it had died.
“So they looked for another person who could do it and the suspect demanded R5,000 for it from the victim,” said Eleazar.
“Subsequently, the suspect continuously demanded payments from the complainant that reached the amount of R66,000 but still there is no result,” he added.
Apparently pissed off over ineffective love potion, the victim reportedly showed coldness in pursuing the love potion but the suspect demanded the R80,000 as payment for the ritual on July 28.
Eleazar said the suspect even went to the extent of threatening the victim such as casting powerful curse that could kill her ex-boyfriend and sending policemen from Pangasinan to arrest her.
It was then that Badette sought assistance from the Regional Special Operations Unit of the NCRPO which in turn had mapped out an entrapment operation against Mendoza on Monday afternoon in Valenzuela City.
Mendoza was collared after the payment transaction. She is now facing charges of Robbery Extortion with intimidation in relation to Art. 316 (Other Forms of Swindling).
The suspect, according to Eleazar, is currently under the custody of RSOU – NCRPO as police prepare for the charge that would be slapped against her.
