The city government here on Wednesday night commended the National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) and other law enforcement units for their aggressive campaign to track members of a group of scammers using the name of Mayor Sara Duterte and other city officials in their illegal activities.
This came following the surrender of a still unnamed member of the Cerbito-Hernandez scam group on June 30 who was presented to the media on Tuesday.
NCRPO chief, Maj. Gen. Vicente Danao, Jr. said the group’s leaders were identified as Patrick Orinio Cerbito, Ramon Segundo, Antonio Cerbito, and Antonio Segundo.
Investigation showed the group was involved in soliciting money using the name of a certain Kristian Acero, Rezelyn Nemenzo, and Richard Yu, purportedly for the campaign and logistical funds of the presidential daughter in exchange for favors and other forms of assistance.
“They presented themselves as City Hall of Davao officials to unsuspecting contractors and businessmen to solicit money,” the city government said in a statement.
Danao added that a mobile number belonging to a lawyer working for the Davao city government was used to communicate with contractors and supplies in Davao, Dumaguete, Iloilo, Laguna, Quezon, Negros Oriental, Cabanatuan City, Tarlac, Pangasinan, Cagayan, Leyte, and Baguio through text and social media.
Around 209 government officials and other private persons and companies were targeted by the scammers.
In one instance, the scammers also contacted the owner of MTP Marine Services based in Batangas and pretended 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.
Duterte earlier warned the public against individuals or groups soliciting and conducting fundraising activities for her supposed candidacy in the 2022 national elections.
She warned the public about government employees or private individuals asking contractors or businessmen to give money as contributions.
Duterte also warned about individuals pretending to be employees of the city government of Davao calling contractors and businessmen for money contributions.
“Please be warned that there is no fund-raising activity or campaign money solicitation for my benefit. All these activities are unauthorized and without my permission,” Mayor Sara clarified.
She also urged the public not to give money or any other donation to these individuals and to immediately report the matter to davaocitymayor@gmail.com or the National Bureau of Investigation and Davao City Police Office.
Source: Philippines News Agency