VICE Mayor Jude Thaddeus Sayson warned the public Monday against “those unscrupulous people who are taking advantage of the situation of Barangay 19 and are making money for their own personal benefit.”

The warning came after several people carried boxes in the streets near the site, asking for any amount from the public utility jeepneys drivers or commuters who pass by the said area.

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Barangay 19 punong barangay Jocelyn Uychiat said that she doesn’t have any idea about such activity outside her barangay where collections are being solicited using donation boxces, “since the said amount that were collected by those people are not endorsed to our barangay.”

Sayson said those unscrupulous people who ask any amount of donation outside Barangay 19 are doing so with no directive coming from Uychiat to do such activity. “Please avoid giving your donations to these people, and if you have something to give for the fire victims, it must be channeled with the Department of Social Service and Development (DSSD) or through the barangay captain.”

“We don’t want that the situation in Barangay 19 would be exploited by unscrupulous people to make money for their own benefit,” Sayson said.

Uychiat also appealed not to politicize her barangay where her constituents just went through a serious life threatening incident and that the process of recovery needs the cooperation of everybody.