MANILA, Philippines - An organization that claimed to be functioning under the Office of the President works similar to a “networking scam,” a police official said yesterday.
“Members are given quotas to recruit more people into the group,” said Superintendent Audie Madrideo, commander of the Quezon City Police District-Station 2, referring to the organization calling itself the Presidential Regional Assistance Monitoring Services or PRAMS.
On Sunday, policemen armed with a search warrant raided a two-story house rented by the group at 301-C Road 1 in Barangay Bagong Pagasa.
Madrideo said 15 PRAMS officials have been charged with various offenses including unauthorized use of the seal of the Office of the President, forgery, counterfeiting of the seal of the government, use of forged signature or counterfeit stamp and illegal use of uniforms and insignia.
Nine of the 15 officials were among those arrested on Sunday, including deputy director Wilbert Tamayo, who had claimed the group was formed through executive orders issued in 1985. A Malacañang official, in the same year, issued a memorandum circular declaring the “non-existence” of the group.
The group’s executive director, Marcelino Castro, who was not present during the raid on Sunday, was among those charged before the city fiscal.
Police have sent home around 50 members who were rounded up during Sunday’s raid since they were deemed victims in the scam, Madrideo said. “We just took their (members’) statements to support the case that we filed against the officers of the group,” he added.
He said the members came from different provinces and were promised jobs in government.
QCPD deputy director for operations Senior Superintendent Ranier Idio said the group makes prospective members pay a P600 fee – P350 for an identification card, P50 for documentary stamp, an initial monthly due of P200.
“Some have even taken their oath of office,” Madrideo said, citing that one victim was designated as an “intelligence officer” with no idea of what the post entailed.
QCPD director Chief Superintendent George Regis said the group was first busted in 2006 when its then executive, Maximino Gamido, was reportedly charged for similar offenses. But it has since been reactivated and, based on information from village officials, started renting the house in Barangay Pagasa in June.