PNP warns public: Con artists pose as cops to solicit money

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine National Police – Internal Affairs Service (PNP-IAS) on Thursday warned the public against con artists posing as its personnel to solicit money in exchange for protection and facilitation services.

According to IAS inspector Gen. Brigido Dulay, his office received reports about individuals “running a protection racket involving establishments suspected of illegal activities.”

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“Based on records available at its human resource management section, however, the reported personalities do not appear in the roster of PNP-IAS,” Dulay said in a statement.

“We are now working with other PNP units to arrest these fake cops. We do not and will never tolerate or condone such egregious deception that not only tarnishes the integrity and reputation of the PNP but also seriously hinders the performance of its mandate,” he added.

The IAS official also encouraged the public to cooperate with authorities and report “any person who falsely misrepresents himself to be an officer, agent, or representative of any department or agency of the government.”

Individuals found to have committed the offense will be criminally liable for estafa under Section 135 of the Revised Penal Code (RPC) and usurpation of authority under Section 177 of the RPC.

“You can email us at [email protected] or call us at 09260310279 for mobile and (02) 8723-0401 local 6665 for landline, and you may also visit any of our national, regional, district, provincial, and city offices in order to verify the status or report these unscrupulous individuals,” Dulay said.