The Interior department has ordered the Philippine National Police to probe the involvement of three ranking officers of Police Regional Office 12 in a P2-billion investment scam.
Interior Undersecretary Jonathan Malaya said Interior Secretary Eduardo Año also ordered the immediate relief of Police Col. Manuel M. Lukban Jr., chief of the PRO-12 directorial staff; Police Col. Raul Supiter, General Santos City police director; and Police Lt. Col. Henry P. Biñas.
PNP Chief Oscar Albayalde has already ordered the PRO-12 and the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group to probe the scam that has allegedly victimized a sizable number of PRO-12 personnel, their families, relatives and friends.
Ordered investigated was the Police Paluwagan Movement or PPM investment scam that allegedly is being run by the three officers and some uniformed and non-uniformed personnel of the General Santos City Police Office.
“I am deeply worried about this news. Police, including ranking officials, are allegedly running the investment scam. I have ordered PNP Chief Albayalde and the CIDG to immediately probe and act on this to ensure that there will be no more victims and the perpetrators will be held liable,” Malaya told reporters.
Citing the initial report from PRO-12 Director, Police Brig. Gen. Elisio T. Rasco, the PPM investment scam has attracted various sectors of the community in the region, including prosecutors, judges, entrepreneurs and ordinary civilians due to the “very tempting big interest rates offered by the group.”
The PPM allegedly offers a 60-percent interest rate every 15 days for the money invested by the victims.
In a span of a few months, police personnel involved in the scam had allegedly acquired multiple assets. They allegedly issued checks that bounced, and that some 30 police personnel and civilians were allegedly involved in the scam.
Malaya said the DILG chief had warned other PROs of the scam.
“I want the other regions to know of this scam so that they do not fall prey to a similar scheme. Let this serve as a warning to them that the DILG-PNP will not tolerate any wrongdoing among our ranks,” Año said.
