NBI nabs 8 bogus DBM officials

MANILA, Philippines — Eight people allegedly posing as officials of the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) were apprehended by the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) in Mandaluyong on Tuesday.

The suspects, whose identities are withheld by authorities, were arrested by operatives of the NBI in an entrapment operation in a restaurant following information from a contractor who almost fell victim to the group’s scam.

The contractor said one of the suspects introduced herself as a DBM undersecretary in charge of special projects and claimed that she could assist in releasing funding for government programs.

The DBM said the suspects promised the complainant access to P1.3 billion worth of government projects if she agrees to a deal.

The specific project is related to the construction of a dam, which the DBM was supposedly funding. In exchange for grease money, the suspects promised the complainant that the project would be awarded to her.

The contractor conducted her own investigation and found out the person posing as an undersecretary is not listed in the roster of DBM officers. She also discovered the project does not exist.

The suspects were apprehended by NBI agents after they accepted P500,000 in marked money from the complainant.