A woman who allegedly charges police recruits a fee of P50,000 for the "automatic" passage of their neuro-psychiatric tests was arrested by the Philippine National Police (PNP), Gen. Guillermo Eleazar announced Friday, May 28.
PNP Chief Eleazar identified the fixer as Evelyn Aleman alias "Eva Fonda," 35, an agent of the Public Safety Savings and Loan Association Inc. (PSSLAI), and a resident of Bicutan, Taguig City. PSSLAI is a money-lending group that caters to policemen and their families.
Eleazar said Aleman was arrested during an entrapment operation staged by members of the Integrity Monitoring and Enforcement Group (IMEG) and Anti-Cybercrime Group (ACG) at around 9 p.m. Thursday along General Santos Avenue in Barangay Upper Bicutan. She was nabbed after receiving P50,000 from a cop who posed as an applicant.
According to police, Aleman has been offering assistance to police applicants particularly in securing the passage of their neuro-psychiatric examinations. All they have to do is pay her a hefty sum.
The suspect claimed that she has been able to help a lot of applicants enter the PNP through her "pamato", or her contact-accomplice within the organization. The pamato is allegedly a doctor in the PNP Health Service with the rank of police colonel.
Through her Facebook account, Eleazar said Aleman asks P20,000 from her victims for her "services" and another P30,000 for her pamato. The suspects' online activities were monitored by cyberpatrol operatives of the ACG.
"Sa ating mga aplikante, huwag kayong maniniwala sa mga ganitong klaseng modus. Binago na natin ang kultura ng korapsyon at palakasan sa recruitment system kaya masasayang lang ang pera ninyo (To our applicants, do not believe this kind of modus. We already changed the culture of corruption and 'padrino' in our recruitment system so your money will only go to waste)," Eleazar said.
Aleman's arrest came after the PNP launched on Thursday the Comprehensive Online Recruitment Encrypting System (CORES)--a QR code-aided system in the PNP's recruitment process.
The QR (quick response) code will be used to ensure the anonymity of the applicant. Only the applicant’s qualifications will be evaluated in determining if he or she will be accepted in the police force.
It will be utilized in the entire application process, meaning it will cover the body mass index and agility tests; drug and neuropsychiatric tests; and physical, medical, and dental examinations.
Eleazar ordered the ACG and the IMEG to further intensify the operations against this kind of modus operandi and to investigate if Aleman indeed has cohorts in the PNP, including her husband who has been confirmed to be a policeman.
He also urged police applicants to immediately report to the PNP, through "e-sumbong," any person who would approach and offer them dubious assistance in the recruitment system.
Aleman was placed under the custody of the IMEG. She is facing violations of Section 21H (Fixing and/or collusion with fixers) of Republic Act (RA)11032 (Ease of Doing Business and Efficient Government Service Delivery Act of 2018) in relation to Section 6 (Cyber-squatting) of RA 10175 (Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012).