DBM warns public, LGUs vs Abad ‘impersonators’

The Department of Budget and Management (DBM) on Monday warned the public and local government units against bogus calls coming from individuals posing as Budget Secretary Florencio “Butch” Abad, who supposedly asked for money in exchange of fund releases.

Abad said the department condemned the suspicious requests, saying that “irregularities should not have any place in the budget process.”

“It has come to our attention that fraudulent phone calls are being made to various local governments and members of the public. According to reports we’ve so far received, these callers have either been posing as me or as DBM representatives and they always ask for kickbacks or payments in exchange for fund releases,” Abad said in a statement.

Abad said mayors of Maragusan in Compostela Valley, Ragay in Camarines Sur, San Luis in Aurora, and Loreto in Dinagat province have approached DBM to report the incidents of fraud.

“We ask the public and our peers in government to be vigilant against impersonators and potential fraud. Please reach out to my office or to your local DBM officials if you have received phone calls of this nature,” he said.

The budget secretary added that his department is coordinating with DBM regional offices, as well as the League of Municipalities and League of Cities of the Philippines, to inform their members of the bogus transactions.

“We want to assure the mayors and vice mayors that we are currently investigating the matter with the intent of resolving the issue swiftly and in the name of justice, transparency, and accountability,” he added.