• GILBERT P. BAYORAN
Three more complaints have been filed against a municipal councilor of La Castellana, Negros Occidental and a woman recruiter in connection with the alleged Philippine National Police (PNP) recruitment scam, which has reportedly victimized at least 47 police aspirants.
The latest charges bring to 11 the total number of large scale estafa cases filed by the police against Councilor Donato Dumaguit and a certain Mary June delos Santos before the Provincial Prosecutor’s Office.
PCapt. Judesses Catalogo, provincial police spokesperson, confirmed the filing of the three additional cases as he disclosed that three more similar complaints will be also filed by other victims against the two respondents on Monday, Oct. 2.
A teacher, who filed a complaint against de los Santos before the National Bureau of Investigation, said the latter promised her entry into the Philippine Coast Guard in exchange of cash payments.
She also claimed that Dumaguit was helping de los Santos in the recruitment of PNP and Coast Guard applicants.
The police aspirants paid amounts ranging from P247,000 to P300,000 to the recruiters while the teacher said she paid P121,00 to de los Santos.
Dumaguit has failed to attend several sessions of the La Castellana Municipal Council after he was linked to the alleged police recruitment scam.
In an interview with DYEZ Aksyon Radyo, Dumaguit said he is ready to face the accusations against him, which he strongly debunked, saying that he is also a victim of the circumstances. The PNP Internal Affairs Service is also investigating the alleged involvement of several policeman in the recruitment scam. | GB
