PRC warns vs ‘fixers’

The Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) has warned the public against a woman who has been allegedly victimizing board examinees by extorting money from them and promising their inclusion in the list of successful examinees.

Newly-appointed PRC Chairperson Antonieta Fortuna-Ibe called on all victims to immediate report to PRC or the National Bureau of Investigation which will assist them in filing criminal cases against any fixers.

The woman was identified as Armi Menor Liguid of 4 Madiaz St., Santol, Quezon City. Her husband, Mario Manalo Liguid, was tagged as an accomplice in a recent case which was filed against them in the Manila Regional Trial Court. After posting bail, the two were released to await trial.

The woman allegedly impersonated Mrs. Amelia Empaynado, head of the PRC licensure office, to convince her victims that they would surely pass the exams if each paid her from P30,000 to P100,000.

The woman had earlier been charged by the public prosecutor in the Regional Trial Court in Angeles City in Pampanga for committing the same scam. After arresting her, the NBI filed a complaint with the city prosecutor’s office in 1997. But the suspect posted bail for her provisional liberty pending trial. Failing to appear during her trial, the court issued a warrant of arrest for her.

Last month, the Liguid couple was arrested again during an entrapment operation by the NBI with PRC assistance at the Goldilocks Bakeshop on España, Manila. One of three examinee victims was a niece of a confidential NBI agent. The agent later sought out Ms. Empaynado whom Liguid had impersonated to assure victims of passing the exams.

Empaynado showed the NBI agent the photo of Liguid who is at large in the Angeles City regional trial court case against her for three counts of estafa.

After their 1997 case was filed and their release for bail and failure to appear in court, the PRC had posted Liguid’s photograph prominently in the PRC premises to warn board examinees against transacting business with the Liguid couple.