Scam victims want suspects to return their money

BACOLOD CITY, Philippines — Victims of a scam involving recruitment of police officers in Negros Occidental have appealed to the suspects to return their money.

The suspects, identified as Donato Dumaguit, councilor of La Castellana town, and Mary June delos Santos, are facing 11 counts of large-scale estafa complaints before the Provincial Prosecutor’s Office.

Dumaguit was tagged in the alleged P15-million recruitment scam that victimized 47 police aspirants, mostly residents of La Castellana.

“We need that money to pay our debts,” said Bienvenido Berja Jr., whose son Kenneth Marvin was among the victims of the scam.

Berja said he paid P272,000 in cash to Dumaguit in exchange for a promise that his son could enter the police service without hassle.

Berja denied Dumaguit’s claim that he was the one who asked the suspect to facilitate the entry of his son to the Philippine National Police.

He said Dumaguit assured him that his son, who is a criminology board passer, has better chances of getting into the police service through the suspect’s connections.

Berja said he pawned their property and borrowed money from relatives to raise the money.

Aside from Berja, other complainants also expressed hope that the suspects would return their money.