THE Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) has urged local government officials to strengthen their information gathering against investment scams in their area to avoid the public from being duped into investing their hard-earned money to bogus scheme.
In an interview, DILG Undersecretary Epimaco Densing III said Secretary Eduardo Año will be issuing a department order directing local and barangay officials to be more vigilant and proactive in monitoring investment activities offering unusual high interest similar to that of Kapa Ministry Community Inc.
“It’s important for local officials to be aware of the investments schemes operating in their areas, especially officials in the barangay level,” he said.
“Magpapalabas ng direktiba kami sa DILG through Secretary Ano pipirma s'ya ng direktiba na sa barangay level palang kapag meron nang nag oorganize, nagrerecruit na may involved na pera kailangan maireport na po ito sa higher LGUs, sa city hall at municipality at titingnan doon kung nakapag issue ng permit and licenses kasi hindi naman makakapag operate sa LGU ang isang investment company kung hindi sila nabigyan ng permit,” he added.
Densing said the LGU should proactively and immediately check appropriate permits issued to investment companies by state agencies, like the Securities and Exchange Commission and the Department of Trade and Industry, before granting them with permit to operate.
“Kung may permit kailangan maimbestigahan at kung napapatunayan na ito ay kumukuha ng pera at hindi nag ooperate in accordance with their SEC or DTI registration agad dapat po ipatigil or tanggalan ng lisensya,” he said.
“I have never heard of return of investment at 20 or 30 percent per month (like what Kapa promised). That’s clearly a scam,” he added referring to Kapa-Community Ministry International Incorporated.
President Rodrigo Duterte earlier ordered the closure of Kapa which was founded by Pastor Joel Apolinario in Surigao del Sur. It has at least 50,000 members from accross the country.
The Kapa promises 30 perecent of "love gift" the term they use for interest in every investment which they call donation.
The NBI earlier raided 12 Kapa offices in the country in the bid to filing charges against the people behind it.
Meanwhile, Philippine National Police (PNP) Chief Oscar Albayalde said he also warned PNP personnel particularly those assigned in Mindanao not to engaged on the proliferation of investment scams or they may face administrative charges.
“On the part of the PNP, we are continuously talking to our personnel to stay away from these kinds of modus, either as investors or a recruiter for investors,” Albayalde said.
“We issued a memorandum circular warning all our personnel on this scheme,” he added.
He said policemen being duped into investment scams had been among their topic during regular meetings with police commanders and their men.
The Central Mindanao regional police leadership has earlier issued warnings and tips on how to avoid investment scams after some of its personnel fell prey on the pyramiding scheme and other financial scams.
It said several police personnel, including ranking officials lost millions of money to Pulis Paluwagan.
Three middle-ranking police officers were also sacked form their posts and was facing charges before the Office of the Ombudsman in March over their alleged involvement in investment schemes that targets policemen as investors.
Albayalde said the police officials even used their respective offices for the investment scam transactions and even facilitated fast lanes for policemen wanting to invest. (SunStar Philippines)