Raffy Tulfo confronts DTI over ‘very slow’ action vs networking scams

Senator Raffy Tulfo and DTI on networking scammers. INQUIRER.net graphics

MANILA, Philippines — Senator Raffy Tulfo on Monday aired his disappointment with the Department of Trade and Industry’s (DTI) “very slow” action against networking scammers, cornering the agency during a committee hearing.

Tulfo had the opportunity to confront DTI Secretary Alfredo Pascual and other officials regarding long-time complaints about tricks employed by supposed multilevel marketing firms to purportedly victimize hundreds into making investments that eventually turned out to be fraudulent.

Pascual and DTI officials attended a hearing conducted by the Senate committee on trade, commerce, and entrepreneurship concerning the agency’s priority legislative agenda and the country’s the trade and industry status, among others, on Monday.

According to Tulfo, the DTI has been evasive in answering complaints, especially on queries on what the agency will do to regulate networking companies.

“For so many years, naging mailap ang DTI sa mga tanong na binabato sa kanila every time I get complaints from people that come to my action center to complain for the past several years,” the senator said.

(For so many years, the DTI has been elusive in answering complaints that I receive from victims who come to my action center.)

“Ang palagi kong question na palaging iniiwas-iwasan ng DTI ay ano ang ginagawa ng DTI para ma-regulate itong mga networking company na by the hundreds and even thousands na ang mga naloloko o naisahan,” he added.

(My perennial question, which is always unanswered by the DTI, is what are they doing to regulate these networking companies who have duped hundreds and even thousands of people.)

Tulfo claimed he has been calling the DTI and asking them to investigate but “they’re just not doing anything.)

“So DTI can you answer us? At least now, hindi ninyo na ako pwedeng tagu-taguan, hindi ninyo na ako pwedeng iwas-iwasan,” the neophyte senator told DTI officials in the hearing.

(At least now, you cannot elude me anymore.)

In response, DTI Undersecretary Ruth Castelo said the agency has been running after multilevel marketing companies that are not legitimate, coordinating with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) on the matter.

However, this answer did not seem enough for Tulfo to say that dubious networking companies have even multiplied “like mushrooms” even during the COVID-19 pandemic.

He suggested to the DTI to tap law enforcement agencies like the National Bureau of Investigation and the Philippine National Police in going after scammers, especially those operating online.

“Kung ginagawa ninyo ‘yan, bakit hanggang ngayon tuluy-tuloy, in fact dumami pa rin parang mga kabuti kahit may pandemic. Nandiyan pa rin, hindi pa rin na-aaddress,” the senator said.

(If you are doing that, why are their operations still ongoing? It has even multiplied like mushrooms even during a pandemic. So the problem’s still there. It’s still not addressed.)

Tulfo also mentioned the scheme of some fraudsters who target mall-goers during the hearing, saying the DTI has also been “very slow” in taking action on these issues.

“Nilapit ko ito sa DTI and DTI has been very slow in acting on those complaints. And you know DTI, lagi akong tumatawag sa inyo, nagsasawa na ako kakatawag sa inyo kasi hindi niyo ako sinasagot, iniiwas -iwasan ninyo ako,” he said.

(I brought this to the DTI, and the DTI has been very slow in acting on those complaints. And you know DTI, I always call you. I’m getting sick of always calling you because you don’t answer me, you avoid me.)

“Ngayon, subukan ninyo akong iwasan,” he said.

(Now, try to avoid me.)

Castelo answered by saying the DTI has always been accommodating interviews and responding to questions.

However, Tulfo complained that officials that usually answer queries are not decision-makers.

At this point, DTI Secretary Pascual joined the discussion, vowing to coordinate with other government agencies in addressing scam issues.

He also proposed intensifying education campaigns for consumers so that they can identify fraud.

“Ang solusyon dito na nakikita ko is an educational campaign, we need to teach our people how to decide on who to deal with with respect to trade or investment,” Pascual said.

“Napakahirap, milyun-milyon ang tao natin dito at hindi natin namo-monitor ang galaw ng bawat isa. Ang kailangan nating turuan ay ‘yung mga tao mismo,” he added.

(It isn’t easy. We have millions of people here, and we can’t monitor each one. So we need to teach our consumers.)

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KGA/abc