Scam victim lodges complaint at NBI, Napolcom-6 to conduct probe on matter

A formal complaint for alleged illegal recruitment was filed Tuesday, September 19, at the Office of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI)-Bacolod against a councilor in La Castellana town, Negros Occidental, and his alleged cohort.

The 24-year-old licensed teacher who requested anonymity for fear of her life claimed that she was allegedly introduced to Mary June Delos Santos by La Castellana Councilor Donato Dumaguit.

The two promised her entry into the Philippine Coast Guard.

After paying a down payment of P5,000, Delos Santos allegedly asked persistently for the remaining balance, which reached P121,000 in June this year.

Delos Santos was accompanied by a uniformed police officer in that instance, she claimed.

"She sounds very convincing when she talks to you and drops names of various police personnel in the different police stations in Bacolod City and province," the complainant said.

She added that she filed a blotter with Bacolod Police Station 1, but she decided to file a complaint with the NBI as she doesn't trust them.

The other victims were promised entry into the Bureau of Fire Protection and the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology, she added.

Dumaguit and Delos Santos were earlier implicated in the Philippine National Police recruitment, which allegedly turned into a scam that involved a large amount of money.

The National Police Commission (Napolcom) regional office in Western Visayas will conduct its own investigation into the alleged illegal recruitment scam that has already victimized a total of 47 individuals from La Castellana town and surrounding municipalities by the two suspects.

Atty. Joseph Celis, Napolcom-6 regional director, said he will send an investigator to Negros Occidental to look into the matter.

"The name of our institution is affected as it's used for illegal purposes. It has tarnished the image of the organization," Celis said.

He assured the victims of the scam that those behind it would be held liable.*