FIREMAN IN ‘JOB SLOT’ SCAM NABBED

OPERATIVES of the Criminal Investigation and Detective Group (CIDG) on Monday arrested a fireman in Zamboanga del Sur accused of promising recruitment slots to aspirants to the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) in exchange for a fee.

Suspect Fire Officer 3 Jesson Albios Casanes, currently assigned at the Isabela City Fire Station in Basilan province, was caught in an entrapment operation at Purok Crossing in Bgy. Sicade, Kumalarang, Zamboanga del Sur.

Casanes, 35, was arrested while receiving the P400,000 cash from a BFP applicant he promised for a job at the Bureau.

The BFP said an administrative case shall be filed against Casanes for serious infraction of the Bureau’s code of conduct for its organic personnel.

Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Benhur Abalos warned the public or would-be BFP applicants to refrain from dealing with con artists who offer slots in exchange of money.

“Binabalaan ko po ang publiko lalo’t higit ang mga aplikante sa BFP na mag-ingat sila sa mga manloloko na nangangako na mabibigyan sila ng trabaho sa Bureau. Dumaan po tayo sa tamang proseso sa ating paghahanap ng trabaho,” Abalos said.

Casanes was the second fireman to be entrapped in more than a month.

Last October 24, police arrested Fire Officer 1 Ramces Paul Benipayo, after receiving P200,000 from a fellow firefighter from Western Visayas in exchange for a non-existent job promotion.

Prior to Benipayo’s arrest, Fire Officer 1 Karla Rodriguez, 29, assigned at the BFP Guiuan Fire Station in Eastern Samar, was also arrested by the police in May last year, after allegedly extorting P150,000 from a female applicant.

“Paulit-ulit na lang po ang ganitong pangyayari na ginagamit ng mga sindikato ang BFP para makapanggantso ng mga aplikante, at iyong iba pa nga kahit nagtatrabaho na pero gusto namang makakuha ng promotion,” the DILG secretary said.