Capitol warns public vs. fake membership forms

CEBU, Philippines — The Cebu provincial government has condemned the circulation of fake membership application forms by a group called the “Cebu People’s Movement,” warning residents that the documents are not connected to Capitol operations.

The group allegedly claimed that individuals must fill out the forms with personal details to register before availing of emergency services and aid from the provincial government.

Provincial Information Office (PIO) officer Ainjeliz de la Torre-Orong said the forms caused confusion, with residents messaging the official Cebu Province Facebook page and visiting Capitol offices to verify their legitimacy.

“We’ve gotten a lot of questions man gud on the page and even diri naay mangutana personally sa atong mga offices and departments. Because there has been kaning form nga mura gipa-fill out,” she explained.

Reports and inquiries began arriving last week.

“It wasn’t really a complaint but it was mostly inquiry, kung sa Capitol gyud na siya gikan, if legitimate ba na siya,” de la Torre-Orong said.

She added that some individuals have been distributing the forms in communities, misrepresenting themselves as Capitol representatives.

“The information that we got kay there is a group nya ang amoa lang gud dira is nag-misrepresent man gud that they are from the Capitol, which is not correct because si Gov. walay gipalibot si Gov. of the form,” she explained.

De la Torre-Orong noted that the documents lack the official provincial logo, confirming their inauthenticity. She said some distributors even promised recipients a house, lot, or large sums of money.

“And naa man gud mi nadawat nga information na even grabe ang promise. A promise of even a house and lot, grabe. Promise of kanang dako nga kantidad nga kwarta so dili lang ta mag-ing-ana, mag misrepresent sa Capitol,” she said.

She clarified that residents do not need to register or fill out membership forms to access provincial services.

“If there’s a need for assistance or whatsoever nga kinahanglan from the Capitol, dili kailangan nga mag pre-register, walay ingon ana. Walay membership nga kinahanglan,” she said.

The mastermind behind the scheme has not yet been identified, though de la Torre-Orong said they have leads. The matter has been referred to the police.

“Well, I can’t specifically say what crime or what, it’s with the police now. Ang amo ani is I can’t say sanctions as well, pero mag-warn lang sad gyud mi na dili lang mag-represent gyud sa Capitol,” she said.

She stressed that such deception should not be tolerated and urged the public to be vigilant in protecting their personal information. (CEBU NEWS)