NCRPO nabs Malacañang ‘poser’
MANILA, Philippines — A man posing as a Malacañang undersecretary was apprehended in an entrapment operation at the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) on Wednesday for allegedly using the Office of the President in lobbying for military drones.
Kelvin Parreño was arrested at the PCG headquarters in Port Area, Manila during a sting conducted by the National Capital Region Police Office Regional Intelligence Division, according to NCRPO spokeman Lt. Col. Luisito Andaya.
Parreño was reportedly lobbying for the PCG to procure unmanned aerial vehicles from him, saying he was authorized by Malacañang as an “undersecretary” in the Office of External Affairs, which is now defunct.
While the suspect did not mention the name of President Marcos, Parreño gave the impression that he had Malacañang’s authority by using the Palace office, Andaya said.
Investigators also confirmed with Malacañang that Parreño is not appointed in any official capacity.
In an interview on ABS-CBN News, NCRPO chief Maj. Gen. Edgar Alan Okubo said the suspect’s modus is to lobby for suppliers and get a cut from the winning contractor with government agencies.
“With the calling cards confiscated and verification of office, we discovered that there is no such thing as an Office of External Affairs under the Office of the President,” Okubo said.
“These suspects pose as undersecretaries working at Malacañang to entice government agencies to procure unmanned vehicles from the company they are representing. And if there is an order, it is possible they could get a cut or there will be a ghost delivery, which is both detrimental to the government,” he added.
The suspect is facing a complaint for usurpation of authority.
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