LEGAZPI CITY, Aug. 19 (PNA) — The Philippine National Police (PNP) Legazpi City Station arrested a suspected fixer right inside the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Field Office at Barangay Buraguis, Legazpi City in an entrapment operation on Tuesday.
Arrested was suspect Leuilyn Flores, 34, a resident of Tagongtong, Legazpi City.
A police report said the DSWD had asked police assistance because of the alleged illegal activities of fixers in the department.
The DSWD said one of its clients from Barangay Homapon, Malinao, Albay accompanied her niece to ask for burial assistance for the latter’s husband on Aug. 17.
Flores approached the client to give her a general intake sheet (GIS) but in exchange for PHP500 upon receiving the cash assistance.
She also threatened the client if she would not give money to her.
The GIS is used in gathering information/data and serves as a basis for the assessment of how much assistance to be extended to the client.
The DSWD and the PNP immediately set an entrapment operation on Tuesday afternoon with the help of the concerned DSWD’s client who reported the irregularity.
On that same day, upon releasing the burial assistance, the entrapment was planned where the two met to proceed with the transaction leading to the arrest of the suspect.
The two agencies prepared PHP500 bill as marked money, which the client handed to Flores and, thus, the arrest.
The marked money will be used as evidence, the police said.
The DSWD Bicol has warned the public to be vigilant against fixers who charge certain fees for getting queue numbers on the medical and burial assistance of the department.
The assistance, it said, is intended to help the persons in need and not for ruthless people who take advantage of these vulnerable clients.
“The agency will not tolerate any kind of irregularity and hopes this will also serve as a lesson to the public not to engage or transact with fixers,” Arnel B. Garcia, DSWD Bicol regional director, said.
Garcia said the field office releases 60 GIS for medical and burial clients’ every day.
This is to ensure the fast, smooth, and organized processing of the assistance needed by the clients.
The clients will then be pre-screened by Crisis Intervention Section staff to check whether they brought the complete supporting documents for the assistance being requested.
Accordingly, the amount of financial assistance to be given to the clients shall be based on the assessment of the social worker.
Meanwhile, the requirements for medical /burial assistance include original and photo copy of medical abstract/medical certificate with signature and license number of attending physician issued within three months, death certificate, original and photo copy of hospital bill or billing statement if hospitalized, doctor’s prescription, laboratory requests, original and photo copy of barangay certificate or residency/indigency, two photo copies of any valid ID of the client.
Under the Protective Services Unit, the Expanded Aid for Individuals in Crisis Situation provides medical, educational, burial and transportation assistance to persons/families in crisis situations, specifically those belonging to the informal sector and other poor, marginalized, vulnerable, and disadvantaged individuals.(PNA)