SIX persons who have scammed local government officials, including presidential daughter Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio, have surrendered to the National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO).
NCRPO Director Vicente Danao said the six are part of a group of 19 scammers who introduce themselves as municipal government officials.
Danao did not name the six persons who surrendered for their protection.
The six surrenderers are likely to turn witnesses while the 13 others in the group will face charges of syndicated estafa. The 13 members of the group are still at large.
Danao said the scammers dropped the name of Davao City Assistant City Administrator Tristan Dwight Domingo in soliciting campaign and logistical funds for Duterte-Carpio in exchange for various forms of assistance.
Danao said 209 private companies and government officials from Davao, Dumaguete, Iloilo, Laguna, Quezon, Negros Oriental, Cabanatuan City, Tarlac, Pangasinan, Cagayan, Leyte and Baguio fell victims to the scam.
He said the solicited funds were deposited in various bank accounts under the names Acero, Nemenzo and Yu.
Colonel Joseph Orsos, NCRPO legal officer, said five bank accounts that were retrieved contained at least P2 million each.
“The scammers are so organized that their selected members have individual tasks assigned to them such as researchers, callers and receivers,” said Danao.
“Further probe revealed an instance where the owner of MTP Marine Services based in Batangas was contacted by the scammers pretending to be the general manager of the Philippine Ports Authority and asked for money in exchange for a promise of assistance for all his contracts,” he added. (Third Anne Peralta-Malonzo / SunStar Philippines)