The Philippine National Police has uncovered a scam in Lanao del Sur which targets applicants who are too big to join the police force.
Police Brig. Gen. Marni Marcos, director of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao police, said they recently arrested a police corporal and his female accomplice in Parang, Maguindanao.
He identified them as Police Corporal Harold Julaton, assigned as liaison officer of the Lanao del Sur Provincial Police Office, and 49-year-old Janet Sarip.
Marcos said Julaton and Sarip have been duping police applicants for several years now by targeting those who have physical requirement issues.
“Our initial investigation conducted disclosed that they committed extortion to PNP applicants especially those who have issues on the Body Mass Index process of the PNP Recruitment Program,” said Marcos.
BMI is a weight-to-height ratio calculation that determines if a person is obese, underweight, or normal. The PNP has set normal BMI as one of the requirements for police applicants.
“Apparently, they were asking money worth P25,000 to every applicant that they promised of a better chance of entering the service,” he added.
According to Marcos, some of the victims have expressed willingness to testify against the two following their arrest.
The operation stemmed from verified intelligence reports about the illegal activities of the two.
The two were arrested at around 5 p.m. on Thursday in Parang.
“Based on the reports, suspects were involved in this anomalous transaction for the past several years but only this time that they were apprehended with evidence at hand,” said Marcos.
He added that a warrant to examine computer data on the cellular phones seized from the suspects has been requested. The purpose is to gather more evidence and identify the other victims.
The suspects are now under the custody of the Parang Municipal Police Station for further investigation and filing of criminal case, said Marcos. (Aaron Recuenco)