Suspects offering contracts, gov’t positions

IN case you are being offered a juicy government contract or a high position in the administration in exchange for a huge amount of money, think twice and dial these numbers: 0960-457-8888 to check.

According to Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC) Executive Director Gilbert DC Cruz, the Office of the Executive Secretary (OES) headed by ES Lucas P. Bersamin, in coordination with the PAOCC, has established the hotline where the public may report people unlawfully using the names of the First Family, the ES, and other high-ranking government officials.

The hotline can also be used to verify if a certain individual is indeed an incumbent government official or not, he added.

“The public is also given notice and warning that government projects are not arranged but must pass through the procurement process,” the PAOCC Executive Director added.

Cruz said that the OES and the PAOCC came up with the hotline in the wake of the arrest of a “namedropper” who is believed to have “conned dozens of people of hundreds of millions of pesos.”

The namedropper who posed as “Undersecretary Edward Diokno Eje” was arrested by agents of the Philippine National Police Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (PNP-CIDG) under Brigadier General Romeo M. Caramat Jr. and the PAOCC last February.

Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Benjamin “Benhur” C. Abalos Jr. said the arrest of the “bogus” Palace official tagged as behind a “government position and contract-for-sale” scheme should serve as a lesson to all namedroppers in the country.

Cruz said that to prevent similar incidents from happening again in the future and to enable the government to prosecute erring individuals, they have established the 0960-457-8888 hotline.

“Apparently, many unscrupulous and criminally-minded people have been misrepresenting themselves to have the power and influence to peddle appointments and contracts in government. They claim to be close to the First Family, the Executive Secretary, and other high-level officials. Others pretend to be high-ranking officials themselves occupying positions in government,” he explained.

The illegal activities of the bogus Palace official were uncovered when eight people, accompanied by their families, went to Malacañang Palace last January 28 to supposedly take their oaths of office before President Ferdinand “Bongbong” R. Marcos Jr.

The eight said they have been appointed to different government positions after talking with Eje.

Several others also arrived on the same date, ready to make presentations on how to execute infrastructure projects to be awarded to them.

Cruz said that these people were embarrassed to learn that they have been duped by Eje alias “Vaughn Vincent,” who misrepresented himself as an “Undersecretary” under the OES.

The victims said that Eje arranged their appointments and fixed the government projects for them after giving him millions of pesos.

To date, Eje is under detention after his apprehension by the PNP-CIDG National Capital Region Field Unit (NCRFU) headed by Colonel Lawrence M. Marantan.

Abalos got mad after learning that his name was being used by the suspect to make his would-be targets believe that he was really connected to high government officials.

Following a complaint from the Palace, Abalos personally asked the CIDG-NCRFU head to launch an operation to arrest the suspect, the Journal Group learned.

The suspect was accused of masterminding a lucrative “government position and contracts for sale” during the past Dueterte presidency and the current Marcos administration.

He is believed to have gypped dozens of moneyed people, including celebrities, of nearly P1 billion, with one of his victims alone claiming to have been duped of P350 million in exchange for a juicy Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) contract.

The suspect was found posing as “Undersecretary Vincent Diokno” and Protocol Officer of the Office of the President (OP) when he was arrested.

Agents of the CIDG-NCRFU tracked down the suspect with the help of the PAOCC along 31st Street in BGC, Taguig City.

Caramat said that the suspect who was accused of pointing a gun at a motorist after a heated argument, yielded a caliber 45 semi-automatic pistol with a loaded magazine, a hand grenade, and assorted identification cards, including the fake Malacañang IDs. His Mitsubishi Montero was impounded by the CIDG.

PNP Chief Gen. Rodolfo S. Azurin Jr. said that Bersamin and Abalos ordered the investigation of Eje’s illegal activities.

Those who paid huge amounts of money were supposed to be appointed to the following positions: President/Chief Executive Officer of Clark International Airport  Corporation; Director, Clark Development Corp.; Executive Director and Vice-Chairperson, ECCD Council; Ambassador to The Netherlands; Board Member, Clark Development Corporation; Assistant Secretary for Maritime, DOTr; Board Member,  Tourism Infrastructure Zone Authority; and Port Manager, Batangas Port.

Among those who filed complaints against the accused were Dr. Marichi Ramos and Edmund Datuin, said to have been swindled of some P300 million in exchange for a PCSO license; Rudy Ngo, swindled of P43.5 million for the lease of HK Sun Plaza; Jun Sevilla, swindled of P4 million; actresses Miley Ang and Gwen Garci, swindled of P1 million each, actress Rosana Roces, swindled of P3 million; actress Maui Taylor, swindled of P1 million; actress Jennifer Lee, swindled of P1 million; and Javier, Leyte Vice Governor Sandy Javier.

The arrested suspect is now facing a non-bailable case for illegal possession of explosives and firearms, and ammunition.