THE Philippine National Police (PNP) warned on Thursday, June 18, 2026, residents in earthquake-affected areas in Mindanao against individuals posing as officials of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH).
In a statement, PNP Chief General Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr. said he has ordered an intensified police visibility and coordinated operations following reports that scammers are exploiting disaster-hit communities by pretending to be government inspectors and project evaluators.
“There is a special place in hell for these people who take advantage of the situation in Mindanao for their personal gains. But right now, our focus is to identify all of them and haul them off to jail,” said Nartatez.
On June 14, Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) operatives arrested two women in Davao City for allegedly introducing themselves as DPWH officials conducting inspections in areas affected by the powerful magnitude 7.8 earthquake that struck Sarangani on June 8.
Nartatez said the suspects were allegedly inspecting infrastructure projects and engaging contractors in transactions involving payment approvals.
He said the DPWH has reported a rising number of similar cases across the country, where individuals falsely present themselves as agency personnel to gain access to projects and vulnerable communities.
Nartatez said all concerned police units have been instructed to coordinate closely with other law enforcement agencies to identify and arrest those behind the scheme.
The PNP chief also directed a thorough investigation on the expanding modus operandi of impersonation scams targeting government infrastructure programs. (TPM/SunStar Philippines)