Police arrest two persons posing as DILG officials extorting from officials

December 4, 2020

Interior Secretary Eduardo Año on Friday said the Philippine National Police - Crime Investigation and Detection Group (PNP-CIDG) has arrested two persons in Dagupan City  posing as senior Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) officials who swindle and extorting from local government officials.

Año identified the suspects as Natilyn Decipulo, 29, former overseas foreign worker, and Richard Tacto, 45, who used the name of DILG Undersecretary and spokesperson Jonathan Malaya to extort money from mayors and governors.

He said they were arrested by CIDG operatives last Thursday.

“The long arm of the law finally caught up with them, and just like what we have said, will bring these people to justice especially that they are using the name of DILG officials on their modus,” Año said.

“Let this serve as a warning to all would-be criminals, we will find you wherever you maybe,” he added.

Año said police revealed that the Decipulo Group are behind at least 20 extortion activities victimizing governors or mayors in Luzon, Visayas, Caraga Region, and the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.

Año said a manhunt is underway to find other members of this criminal syndicate named the “Decipulo Criminal Group”.

He said the group’s modus operandi is to introduce themselves as DILG employees working under Malaya and solicit money from local chief executives in exchange allegedly for fixing pending administrative cases filed against them.

Another modus is the poseur tells the mayor or governor that the DILG will donate cavans of rice to be distributed to their constituents who were affected by recent calamities.

In exchange, the local chief executive has to send money for cargo or delivery expenses of the supposed donation.

In both instances, the victims are asked to deposit the money to a remittance center or to a bank account of their choosing.

He said the PNP finally caught up with group when Decipulo was arrested during an entrapment operation while claiming the P72,000 she extorted from Narra, Palawan Mayor Gerandy Danao.

Danao alerted the DILG and the PNP that a certain “Regan Dela Cruz” who said he was a staff of Malaya extorted money from him.

Decipulo is facing charges of robbery extortion, estafa, and violation of the E-Commerce Act and was brought to CIDG-Dagupan for proper investigation.

On the other hand, Pangasinan Provincial Office- CIDG Chief  Lt.Col Jerry Corpuz said a member of Decipulo’s group is cooperating with them for the arrest of the other suspects.

 Malaya, whose name was used by the con artists, asked all mayors who were victimized by the Decipulo Group to contact the DILG or the CIDG and file criminal cases against the suspects.  Ella Dionisio/DMS