NBI, CIDG asked to investigate ‘impostors’

The Office of the Presidential Assistant for the Visayas has tapped the assistance of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) and Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) to look into an organization that reportedly claims to be working for President Rodrigo Duterte but is actually undermining the administration’s programs.

Presidential Assistant for the Visayas Michael Dino said he wants the matter to be investigated, particularly since members of the group are allegedly collecting fees from indigents.

Dino is also set to meet Police Regional Office 7 Director Chief Supt. Jose Mario Espino today to discuss the matter.

“There is this group claiming to be part of the administration. They will recruit some people and will let them pay a P200 to P300 membership fee to be available so they can avail themselves of housing and livelihood benefits from the government,” Dino said.

He said the situation has become alarming since several barangay captains, mayors and even congressmen have reported the matter to him.

Dino said that promises made by the members of the group are not true because the President has not authorized anyone to implement programs aside from the line agencies.

“I urged the people not to believe it because it’s not true. If they need housing, they must go to the National Housing Authority or if they need livelihood or other social services, they should go to the Department of Social Welfare and Development,” he said.

Dino said government pro- grams and projects don’t pass through middlemen because local agencies are there to implement it.

Meanwhile, Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña accused Dino of being an influence-peddler, saying the latter is a useless presidential assistant. This, following Dino’s statement against him.

“May lang siya mo sipsip kutob lang siya sa false news (He’s only good at sucking up and spreading false news),” Osmeña told reporters.

Osmeña said that Dino is blocking the project of the City, particularly the Cebu Bus Rapid Transit, because the latter has a personal agenda.

He said Dino’s allegation that he never supported Duterte’s war on drugs is not true, saying that nine out of the 10 top drug personalities in the region were captured during his first 30 days in office.

As to Dino’s allegation that the number of petty crimes in the city has increased, the mayor said the statement is totally in contrast with the performance of Senior Supt. Joel Doria, director of the Cebu City Police Office, who was recently awarded because of his efforts to fight criminality.

But Dino said Osmeña is the real influence-peddler.

“The true influence-peddler is him because he has been trying to connect to people in the Cabinet. Why will I become an influence peddler when I already have influence? Please, don’t be insecure,” he said.

Dino said that Osmeña should not take credit for Doria’s achievements, saying the mayor never gave his support to the police.

He added that the nine suspected drug personalities in the region were neutralized not because of Osmeña but because of the President’s order.