AKLAN — An Ati couple was arrested for carrying approximately P65,000 worth of fake P1,000 bills on January 16, the fifth day of the Ati-Atihan Festival 2026 in Kalibo town.
Authorities said aliases “Lito” and “Binay” were stopped by police officers stationed at the screening area along C. Laserna St., Barangay Poblacion, Kalibo at around 2:45 p.m.
The husband voluntarily opened his sling bag containing P1,000 bills. Upon inspection, police discovered that the bills amounting to around P65,000 were fake.
Lito, during an interview, said the counterfeit money was a gift from his employer at a construction site in Altavas town during their recent Christmas party, along with some clothing items.
However, the situation took a concerning turn when the husband later revealed that he had no knowledge of his wife’s decision to bring the counterfeit money with them to Kalibo while they participated in the festivities.
He added that they did not intend to use the fake bills and had not yet attempted to spend any of it.
As of this writing, the couple remained in the custody of the Kalibo Municipal Police Station for proper disposition.
Kalibo police were still investigating the origins of the counterfeit money.
Last week, merchants and sari-sari store owners in Batan, Aklan, reported being victimized by individuals using counterfeit P1,000 bills during the Ati-Atihan festival season. Police reports said the suspects allegedly used a motorcycle to move from one establishment to another. Local authorities, in coordination with the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP), were still investigating the incidents./PN
