TUGUEGARAO CITY,Philippines- A man who allegedly asked an applicant for P100,000 cash for a position in the Philippine National Police (PNP) was arrested by authorities on Tuesday, June 20.
In a press release, Cagayan Valley police regional unit said Marcelo Relos was arrested in an entrapment operation in Barangay Caritan Centro, Tuguegarao City 6:40 pm on Tuesday.
Relos is also the president of the Police Hotline Movement Inc. based in Cagayan.
Relos was pointed by several police applicants who complained that he has assured them that they will pass the recruitment process at police regional unit for a certain fee.
The entrapment operation was conducted as a certain Sherwin Delelis, 27, of Aparri town was about to give the money being asked by Relos.
In a statement, Cagayan Valley police chief Robert Quenery warned the public against the police recruitment scam and asked to only deal with police office.
“I would like to warn the public at large and those who want to enter the police service in particular, to transact your business only with the Police Regional Office 2, and be wary of unscrupulous individuals who promise to help process your applications for monetary consideration,” Quenery said.
Quenery assured the public that the Police Officer 1 Recruitment and Selection Board doing its best to select the best applicants among thousands of applicants.
““I would like to assure the public that our the PNP recruitment process is free. The applicant has only to pass certain requirements based on merit and physical and mental fitness… I won’t allow unscrupulous individuals to disturb the orderly recruitment process using grease money in exchange of slot in the PO1 recruitment program,” he said.
