The Philippine National Police (PNP) has intensified operations against individuals posing as Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) officials in earthquake-affected areas of Mindanao, where scammers are exploiting disaster-hit communities to solicit money.
PNP Chief Police General Jose Melencio C. Nartatez Jr. ordered heightened police visibility and coordinated operations following reports of suspects presenting themselves as government inspectors and project evaluators in areas hit by the magnitude 7.8 earthquake in Sarangani on June 8.
“There is a special place in hell for these people who take advantage of the situation in Mindanao for their personal gains. But right now, our focus is to identify all of them and haul them off to jail,” Nartatez said.
Operatives of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) arrested two women in Davao City on June 14 for allegedly posing as DPWH personnel conducting inspections in quake-affected communities.
Authorities said the suspects were engaging contractors and facilitating supposed payment approvals linked to infrastructure projects.
The DPWH has reported an uptick in similar incidents nationwide, involving individuals falsely representing the agency to access projects and vulnerable communities.
Nartatez said police units have been ordered to coordinate with other law enforcement agencies to identify and apprehend those behind the scheme.
The move aligns with the directive of President Ferdinand “Bongbong” R. Marcos Jr., through the Department of the Interior and Local Government, to maintain peace and order in disaster-hit areas and prevent criminal exploitation of affected communities.
He also directed a continued probe into the expanding modus operandi of impersonation scams targeting government infrastructure programs.