DILG: Beware of scammers

The Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) has warned all local chief executives and the public not to fall prey to an anomalous group dubbed as “People's Congress.”

DILG officer-in-charge Catalino Uy, in a statement, said the group is going around towns and provinces with dubious claims of being authorized by the Palace to appoint local executives who will take over the posts of current elected officials once the supposed revolutionary government is setup.

Cuy said one of the purported leaders of this group introduces himself as a lawyer named “Jose Roa Matias II” and claimed to be a relative of President Rodrigo Duterte.

Police operatives, however, checked with the Integrated Bar of the Philippines and discovered that the person is not in the roster of lawyers.

The DILG official said this could be another group of scammers who are out to prey on unsuspecting public officials who have political ambitions.

Cuy said they have already alerted the Philippine National Police to investigate and look into the activities of these people and they are now being continuously monitored.

"Let us not be victims to these scams and impostors,” he said.

The DILG is appealing to people living in the provinces, as well as in Metro Manila not to be swayed by the false statements and claims of a revolutionary government to be setup soon.

Also, Cuy warned the public to stay away from bogus groups as these people are on the lookout for their possible preys.

He said the least the government can do is expose these scammers every time they start with their modus as “there is no truth to what they are saying.”