ANGELES CITY—Mayor Carmelo Lazatin, Jr. serves stern warning to people using the city government’s name for personal benefits.
The mayor issued the warning following the arrest of a suspect in an entrapment operation last Jan. 29, for alleged involvement in ghost housing project using the name of the city to promote her nefarious activity.
The arrest stemmed from a complaint of Daniel Pascua of Porac town for alleged usurpation of authority, falsification of public documents, robbery extortion/estafa against the suspect identified as Jessel Vitente who allegedly claimed she was an employee of the city government.
Criminal charges were being readied against Vitente.
Pascua sought the help of the city government and the Angeles City Police Office Station 3 in apprehending the suspect.
Vitente allegedly offered Pascua a house for which he paid a processing fee of P2,300 and a monthly amortization of P1,499.
Suspicious that the documents issued by Vitente were fake, Pascua went to the City Hall to verify if the suspect is affiliated with the Angeles City Human Settlements and Urban Development, formerly known as Local Urban Poor Affairs and Housing Office or LUPAHO.
He also checked the legitimacy of the alleged project and the documents he received from Vitente.
The ACHSUD informed Pascua that there was no such project.
ACHSUD also reported the matter to Mayor Lazatin.
Lazatin learned from the Human Resources and Management Office that Vitente was only affiliated with the city government from July 1, 2019 to October 5, 2023 under the Civil Security Unit.
Records of the Angeles City Anti Drug Abuse Council also showed that Vitente did not comply with the city government’s mandatory drug testing, and was therefore terminated.
“Not in any way is she still connected with the city government,” Lazatin stressed.
“We do not tolerate such act,”Lazatin said.
The mayor ordered ACPO to investigate the report and help the alleged victim, where an entrapment operation was conducted to arrest the suspect.
All the pieces of evidence were already turned over to the ACPO Station 3.
According to the report, there are five other victims of the alleged fake project..
Mayor Lazatin reminded his constituents that all official projects and announcements from the city government will be posted and updated via the Facebook page of Angeles City Information Office.
He also urged Angeleños to immediately report suspicious activities which involve the city government.