MANILA, Philippines—Saying “gasgas na ang pangalan ko (my name has been dragged through the mud),” a top official of the Department of Public Works and Highways has warned the public against extortionists dropping his name in connection with nonexistent DPWH-sponsored raffles and other fake fundraising activities.
Public Works Undersecretary for Support Services Jaime A. Pacanan on Sunday said, “It’s alarming.”
He had “personally received reports that aside from dropping my name, some unscrupulous individuals have been even posing as me, calling up people regarding thousands of pesos’ worth of raffle tickets, if not asking donations for some charity projects supposedly intended to benefit disaster victims.”
“We believe a syndicate is behind these illegal activities. We’re coordinating with law enforcement agencies about the problem,” Pacanan told the Inquirer.
In a phone interview, Pacanan said that “despite the department’s repeated warnings against these groups, their attempts to extort money from our district offices nationwide as well as private contractors and other people doing official business with the agency have not stopped.”
In April, Public Works Secretary Rogelio Singson issued a statement saying that there was “no raffle, sports activity or any fundraising project being sponsored by the agency.”
“These alleged activities are nonexistent and should not be entertained,” he said.
Singson assailed the individuals and groups that “have been dragging down the names of top DPWH officials in a bid to destroy the continuing efforts of the department to transform and follow President Aquino’s daang matuwid (good government) crusade.”
According to the DPWH head, the agency had also encountered attempts by some influential individuals acting as fixers to solicit projects and facilitate budget releases for the agency’s infrastructure projects.
“Please do not entertain fixers or brokers for projects, which by the way are included in our regular budget,” he said.
Singson urged “those who have received phone calls or letter-requests through e-mail to help put an end to these illegal activities by calling the DPWH Public Information Division at 5363477 or the 24/7 DPWH Call Center hotline 165-02.”
He reiterated that “our mandate is to build roads, bridges and other national infrastructure.”
“We are not in any way involved in any fundraising activities,” he stressed, adding that “we will not allow these unscrupulous persons or groups to destroy the entire DPWH community.”—Jerry E. Esplanada