Photo courtesy of PNP-NCRPO
A man applying for government financial assistance was arrested in Parañaque City after social welfare personnel found identification cards bearing different names among the documents he submitted, police said.
The 54-year-old applicant was at the Department of Social Welfare and Development’s Baclaran Satellite Office on Sept. 9 when staff noticed inconsistencies in his identification documents and other supporting papers.
The National Capital Region Police Office said the man had submitted IDs, medical certificates and related documents as part of an application for financial aid at the DSWD office inside a mall along Redemptorist Road in Barangay Baclaran.
A check of DSWD records allegedly showed that the identification cards were registered under different names. A social worker then sought assistance from personnel of the nearby Baclaran Police Sub-Station at around 4:20 p.m.
Police brought the applicant and the complainant to the station for documentation and further inquiry. Authorities said investigators were looking into whether the documents had been used to misrepresent the applicant’s identity and secure benefits to which he was allegedly not entitled.
The complainant alleged that the man attempted to present himself as a legitimate beneficiary in order to obtain money or other assistance through deception. Police said the circumstances remained subject to investigation and prosecutorial review.
Authorities were preparing complaints for attempted estafa and alleged violation of Article 178 of the Revised Penal Code, which covers the use of a fictitious name and concealment of true identity, for inquest proceedings before the Parañaque City Prosecutor’s Office.
The suspect remained in police custody pending further proceedings. NCRPO officer-in-charge Christopher Abrahano said authorities would continue coordinating with government agencies to protect public assistance programs while observing due process in handling suspected fraud cases.