NABBED. NBI officials present seven individuals arrested for offering government positions in exchange for money, during a press conference in Quezon City on Monday (July 1, 2024). NBI Director Jaime Santiago said the group, which was apprehended on June 28, charges from PHP500,000 to PHP1 million in exchange for government positions. (Photo screengrab from NBI Facebook page)
MANILA – Operatives of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) arrested seven persons for allegedly recruiting applicants for government positions in exchange for a hefty amount of money.
NBI Director Jaime Santiago, who presented the suspects in a press briefing at the NBI main office in Quezon City on Monday, said the June 28 entrapment operation stemmed from information obtained by the agency's Ilocos Regional Office (IRO) on a person introducing himself as "Atty. JV Cruz" who claimed to be a ranking official in Malacañang.
“Nagpapakilala siya na Asec (Assistant Secretary) ng Presidential Management Staff (PMS) at may specific instruction daw siya mula kay Unang Ginang (Liza Araneta-) Marcos na linisin ang bureaucracy. Ang pakilala niya, siya ang janitor ng bureaucracy. Aalisin yung mga remnants ng previous administration at papalitan (He introduced himself as Asec of the Presidential Management Staff, saying he had specific instructions from First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos to clean up the bureaucracy. He introduced himself as the janitor of the bureaucracy, tasked to remove the remnants of the previous administration),” Santiago said.
He said the suspect allegedly charged applicants PHP500,000 to PHP1 million.
Santiago said upon verification with the PMS, the NBI learned that there is no Assistant Secretary named "Atty. JV Cruz" and that he is neither connected with the Office of the President (OP) Proper nor authorized to conduct any activity for the office.
During the entrapment operation at a hotel in Quezon City, NBI-IRO and National Capital Region agents disguised as applicants were approached by suspects Paulo Cruz and Jayson Marquina, who were wearing jackets bearing the logo of the OP.
The poseur applicants were then ushered to a room where another suspect identified as JV Cruz was waiting. The operatives apprehended JV after he received PHP100,000 in boodle money.
Aside from Marquina, Paulo Cruz, and JV Cruz, whose real name was John Vicente Cruz, NBI agents also apprehended four others identified as Kim Joseph Hernand, Dante Rabano Jr., Darwin Dave Caigan, and Noriel Reynoso.
The arrested suspects were presented for inquest proceedings before the Quezon City Prosecutor's Office for violation of Article 315 of the Revised Penal Code, Executive Order 141 series of 1999, Commonwealth Act No.142, and Articles 177,178,179 of the Revised Penal Code.
Santiago, meanwhile, called on the other victims of the group to come out and file complaints.
“Yung mga nabiktima nila, pumunta sa amin para lalo nating mapatibay ang kaso laban sa kanila. Kasi ang kaso nila bailable eh. Pag nakapag-bail yan, ayan na naman (Those who have been victimized by this group, come to us so we can further strengthen the case against them. Their case is bailable. Once they post bail, they will be at it again),” he said. (PNA)
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