Man nabbed for posing as DSWD employee to extort money

Authorities have arrested a man who allegedly solicited money from victims in exchange for financial assistance from different programs of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD).

DSWD Region 10 director Mari-Flor Dollaga presented the suspect identified as Jay Lagrimas to DSWD Secretary Erwin Tulfo in a virtual briefing on Wednesday.

According to Dollaga, Lagrimas was arrested on Tuesday in a joint entrapment operation conducted by the Philippine National Police (PNP) and the at Barangay Balulang, Cagayan de Oro.

Investigation showed that the suspect would introduce himself to the victims as among the personnel of DSWD-National Capital Region.

Lagrimas would allegedly then assure the victims that they would be included in the list of persons who would receive assistance from the DSWD in exchange for a registration fee.

He allegedly asked P500 for each person for the DSWD’s education assistance and P300 for those who want to be part of the Social Amelioration Program (SAP).

Meanwhile, Tulfo said Lagrimas was part of a criminal group that already stole a total of P1.2 million.

“Anim po silang lahat… taga-Tondo, Caloocan at Cavite… ‘yung nahuli namin ‘yan ang pinaka-mastermind po nila,” Tulfo said during an interview on Super Radyo dzBB.

(There were six of them… from Tondo, Caloocan, and Cavite… the one we caught was the mastermind.)

He said the group Is not connected with the DSWD and that most of its targets were solo parents.

“Chineck namin [ang mga records , hindi talaga siya naging empleyado ng DSWD… kahit administrasyon ng dating Pangulong Aquino, wala talagang ganoon pangalan. Mukha pineke yung IDs niya,” Tulfo said.

(We checked our records, but he was not an employee of DSWD… even in the administration of former President Aquino, his name does not exist… it seems he faked his IDs.)  —KBK, GMA News