DBM seeks help from DILG, NBI to end solicitation scams, nab fraudsters
INQUIRER FILE PHOTO
MANILA, Philippines —To combat fraudulent solicitation schemes and apprehend imposters, the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) has sought the assistance of the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) and the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI).
In a statement on Wednesday, DBM said its chief Amenah Pangandaman wrote to Interior Secretary Benjamin Abalos Jr. to alert local governments against fraud.
These scammers reportedly generate bogus paperwork, urge local chief executives to sign them, identify contractors, and demand payment for a quickened flow of funding for specific projects and initiatives.
Pangandaman asked the DILG to warn the public against people posing as DBM officials and acting as middlemen to obtain money in exchange for fraudulent promises to speed up the disbursement of the Local Government Support Fund – Financial Assistance under the General Appropriations Act.
The Budget chief asked the NBI to trace these fraudsters, undertake follow-up investigations, and hold suspects accountable for their alleged crimes. She then told the bureau that the DBM would help them find scammers.
The public should also be more cautious in avoiding these fraudulent transactions, Pangandaman noted.
She later added, “Muli po kaming nananawagan sa ating mga kababayan na makipag-transact lamang po sa official channels ng DBM. (Once again, we are calling on our countrymen to transact only to the official channels of DBM). Rest assured that the DBM will exert all efforts and employ the fullest extent of the law to identify, apprehend, and file charges against these deceitful individuals.”— Lyka Farillon, INQUIRER.net trainee
