PROMDI Party presidential candidate Sen. Manny Pacquiao is seeking speedy police action to unmask and arrest individuals behind a scam who victimized his supporters in a town in Pampanga by riding piggy-back on his campaign.
Pacquiao revealed that a group has been going around Candaba, Pampanga collecting P250 per person in exchange for supposed inclusion in an exclusive list of people who will receive cash and grocery bags from the retired eight-division boxing champ.
The group has even distributed laminated identification cards to its victims as proof of their supposed membership.
Pacquiao said the list is a scam targeting his supporters among the poor, particularly farmers, market vendors, and tricycle drivers.
He said he is considering offering a cash reward for information that can lead to the apprehension of the group members and their leaders.
Pacquiao uncovered the scam during his sortie in Pampanga last Wednesday.
Juliet Mangilid, Candaba resident and supporter of the senator, showed his staff dozens of laminated identification cards of people who have paid the P250 fee for inclusion in the list.
She recounted that one Rosalia Marte of Barangay Tinejero, Candaba, died when she fell in a creek while trying to recruit “members” to join the bogus organization of Pacquiao backers.
The case was referred to the Candaba PNP while Pacquiao’s camp requested assistance from the media to help them warn the public against the scammers.
“I want these people arrested. If you refuse to own up to your crime, I am prepared to put up a cash bounty to ensure you will be thrown in jail,” Pacquiao said.
The Mindanao senator lamented that the syndicate has targeted the poor as their victims, saying that economic difficulties have made them gullible.
“Individuals behind this group are heartless. They are targeting the poor …fleecing those who are barely making ends meet,” he said.
The boxing icon admitted the incident has made him realize there are people who are capable of doing vile acts against the poor.
“It was a surprise for me to learn that there are people like these who make a living by cheating and defrauding their fellow Filipinos. Perhaps evil spreads because some people feed their children from the fruits of their crimes,” Pacquiao said.
