MANILA – As recovery efforts continue in areas devastated by the magnitude 7.8 earthquake in Mindanao, the Philippine National Police (PNP) has launched a stronger crackdown on individuals allegedly masquerading as Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) personnel to defraud residents and contractors.
PNP chief Gen. Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr. ordered heightened police operations and closer collaboration among law enforcement units after reports surfaced that impostors had been entering affected communities under the guise of conducting official inspections and project evaluations.
Nartatez denounced the practice, describing it as an attempt to profit from the hardships faced by disaster victims.
“These individuals are exploiting a crisis for their own benefit. Our task now is to locate them, build cases against them, and bring them to justice,” he said.
The intensified campaign follows the arrest of two women in Davao City by the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) on Sunday. The suspects allegedly presented themselves as DPWH officials carrying out inspections in earthquake-hit areas following the June 8 tremor centered in Sarangani.
Investigators said the women were reportedly visiting infrastructure projects and approaching contractors regarding matters tied to payment processing and project approvals.
The DPWH has warned that similar impersonation schemes have been reported elsewhere in the country, with fraudsters falsely claiming affiliation with the agency to gain access to project sites and vulnerable communities.
To curb the scam, Nartatez directed all police units to strengthen coordination with other law enforcement agencies and aggressively pursue those responsible.
The operation forms part of the government’s broader effort, under the directive of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. and Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla, to safeguard disaster-stricken communities from criminal activities while recovery and rehabilitation efforts are underway.
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