MANILA: The Philippine National Police - Internal Affairs Service (PNP-IAS) on Thursday warned the public against individuals posing as its agents to extort money as part of their "protection racket." IAS inspector general Brigido Dulay issued the warning following reports that certain individuals posing as IAS officials are allegedly running a protection racket involving establishments suspected of illegal activities. "Based on records available at its human resource management section, however, the reported personalities do not appear in the roster of PNP-IAS," Dulay said in a statement. He also reminded the public that any person who falsely misrepresents himself to be an officer, agent, or representative of any department or agency of the government shall be criminally liable for estafa under Section 135 of the Revised Penal Code (RPC) and usurpation of authority under Section 177 of the RPC. 'We are now working with other PNP units to arrest these fake cops. We do not and will never tolerate or condo ne such egregious deception that not only tarnishes the integrity and reputation of the PNP but also seriously hinders the performance of its mandate,' Dulay said. He urged the public to be vigilant and immediately report to IAS any encounter with these impostors, as well as any illegal or suspicious activities involving purported policemen so that they may be prosecuted for the appropriate criminal charges. 'You can email us [email protected] or call us at 0926-031-0279 for mobile and (02) 8723-0401 local 6665 for landline, and you may also visit any of our national, regional, district, provincial, and city offices in order to verify the status or report these unscrupulous individuals,' Dulay said. Source: Philippines News Agency