Mayor Sara forms anti-scam unit to combat illegal transactions
DAVAO CITY – Mayor Sara Duterte has ordered the creation of an anti-scam unit under the City Mayor’s Office to combat illegal transactions and scams that have victimized city residents.
Duterte issued Executive Order No. 38 or the Order Creating the Davao City Anti-Scam Unit Under the City Mayor’s Office, Identifying its MemBUTUAN bership, Defining Its Duties and Functions and for Other Purposes which she signed last October 9.
“The Increasing number of victims of the so-called “scam” activities maliciously conducted within the jurisdiction of Davao city causes alarm to the public and local authorities,” Mayor Duterte said in her explanatory note.
“There is a need to address immediately the escalating illegal transactions promoted by identified persons or group of persons depicting to have juridical identity to limit, if not fully eliminate, these bogus dealings which siphon off huge amounts of money from their innocent victims,” she said.
The mayor said that the creation of such an office would help curb the occurrence of scams.
Part of the process requires the monitoring of the activities of the public as well as potential scammers, she said.
The anti-scam unit is a more formal version of the city department first announced by Vice Mayor Paolo Duterte.
The unit comprises an officer in charge and a deputy, unit investigators, as well as support staff.
The EO lists the tasks of the anti scam unit as follows:
a) Serve as the main arm of the City Mayor’s Office in receiving complaints related to any dealings/business transactions treated with fraud or alleged to have been engaged using fraudulent means
b) Assist and coordinate with other government agencies in the conduct of investigations related to fraudulent business transactions and in building up cases against identified respondents/ scammers
c) Assist victims of fraudulent business transactions in filing their respective complaints against scammers within the jurisdiction of the City
d) submit to the City Mayor the list of persons or entries identified to be engaged in fraudulent transactions within the City of Davao, and
e) perform such other duties and functions which may be assigned by the City Mayor and which may be necessary in order to fully address the matter.