SBG warns versus ‘scammers,’ name-droppers
SENATOR Christopher ‘Bong’ Go, reiterated his warning to the public to be wary of those using his name to scam people of their money, saying he will not tolerate such activities.
Go issued the reminded after another individual was arrested by the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI)
Last March 11, 2021, the NBI’s Special Operations Group announced the arrest of ‘John Carlos Garcia’ a day before in Bolinao, Pangasinan, who had earlier fleeced some P6 million from his victims in the Bicol region and the provinces of Laguna, Quezon and Rizal in the Calabarzon region.
NBI Officer-in-Charge Eric Distor said Garcia also has two pending arrest warrants for estafa issued by the Mandaluyong City Regional Trial Court.
Garcia was able to dupe his victims by claiming he has direct access to the popular and well-loved lawmaker thru his “secretary,” Geraldyne Riano, a fictitious character as Go has no staff by that name.
To recall, this was already the third incident that scammers and name-droppers had used the name of Go to extort money from other people.
In March 2018, the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) of the Philippine National Police (PNP), also collared three members of a syndicate in Rodriguez, Rizal, for also extorting money by also pretending they are very close to Go and they could facilitate their business transactions related to the country’s ‘Mega Drug Rehabilitation Center Project’ in Fort Magsaysay, Nueva Ecija.
Then in August 2019, two more persons, Dennis Jose Borbon and Edgar Bularan were arrested by the PNP and presented at Camp Crame for using the names of other lawmakers and Go in extorting money disguised as ‘financial assistance.’
Borbon also confessed that he was also part of the group hired by the political opposition conduct a smear campaign against Go and other administration figures during the campaign for the 2019 elections.
Borbon also bared that he personally knows ‘Peter Joemel Advincula,’ the person behind the so-called ‘Bikoy videos’ that targeted Go for demolition and further confessed to being an “anti-administration blogger.”
Borbon bared furtherthat then Sen. Bam Aquino and then Magdalo Rep. Gary Alejano were among those who funded their hatchet job thru social media against Go and the Duterte administration.
Meanwhile, Go appealed to the public to remain vigilant to avoid falling for these scams.
“Huwag po tayo papayag na maloko ng mga ganitong scams.
“Yung pera na pwede maitulong sa kapwa, napupunta sa mga manloloko. Kung may kahina-hinalang tao po kayo na kilala na nagsasagawa ng ganitong illegal activities, sabihan lang po natin ang mga kinauukulan,” Go advised the public.
Go also warned Filipinos against individuals who use his name and that of Pres. Duterte’s for their own vested interests.
The senator emphasized that he and President Duterte will not allow these unscrupulous individuals to profit using their names and that even their families and friends are “prohibited to use their names for vested interests.”
“Gaya ng sinabi ko noon, kung may tauhan, kaibigan o kamag-anak kami na gagamit ng pangalan namin ni Pang. Duterte para sa sarili nilang interes, dapat automatic denied iyan,” Go said.
