CASTILLEJOS, Zambales – Six employees of the Zambales Electric Cooperative II (ZAMECO II), including a sister of Castillejos Mayor Wilma Billman, were arrested in Subic town last Friday on suspicions of siphoning off some P115 million of the cooperative’s earnings since last year.

The suspects, led by ZAMECO II collectors Judy Dominguez and Eunice Santiago, were arrested inside the co-op's collection station in Subic, Zambales after they were caught handing over the cooperative's daily cash collection to four unauthorized fellow employees.

Dominguez is a sister of the Castillejos town mayor.

The four other employees who allegedly received the cooperative’s money from Dominguez and Santiago were identified as Ruel Gonong, construction foreman; Freddie Dela Cruz, utility man; Nelson Falloria, driver; and Meria Fe Divinoto, warehouse supervisor.

Zambales Police Criminal Investigation and Detection Team chief Rogelio Peñones Jr. said the group has been under surveillance for several weeks before they were arrested.

ZAMECO II General Manager Fidel Correa, in an interview, estimated that the group had allegedly stolen some P115 million from the cooperative's daily cash collections since November 27, 2009.

In a joint affidavit, Zambales CIDT operatives PO3 Melquiades Ombao, PO3 Fred Pimentel, PO2 Ulysses Serna and PO2 Mercenario Antonio said that during surveillance, they saw Dominguez and Santiago hand over the money to Gonong and dela Cruz, while Falloria and Divinoto waited outside the station last Friday.

After they completed the transaction, Antonio gave the signal to his colleagues, prompting the other surveillance team members to frisk the suspects, and four bundles of cash amounting to P287,431.72, were found in Gonong’s backpack. The amount represented the cooperative's cash collection for the day.

Correa explained that last December 1, 2009, he ordered the cooperative's cashier to remit the daily cash collections only to duly designated collection supervisors.