RIYADH, 10 September 2006 — If you are recruited to undertake clandestine police training anywhere in the Kingdom, made to pay SR100 for a certificate of training, and told to pay more with the promise of getting a gun complete with license from the Philippine National Police (PNP) when you return to the Philippines, then you have just become the victim of a new scam.

The apparent scam came to light after a number of Filipino workers in the Kingdom, who claimed they were recruited for training, sought help from some community organizations to find out whether the activity was legitimate.

A certificate provided by one of the recruits, copies of which were given to Arab News and its Pinoy Xtra supplement, bears the name Sangguniang Masang Pilipino International (SMPII) and the signatory goes by the name Maj. Elpidio Tanaliga Jr., who carries the title “commander in chief” and founding chairman of the group.

SMPII officials claim the group is duly accredited by the PNP’s Police Community Relations Group (PCRG) and PNP Internal Affairs Service, with the aim of “helping fellow Filipinos around the globe, rendering a humble service to uplift moral and spiritual values, support the needs of the unfortunate OFWs, and assist in maintaining peace and order.”

In an e-mail circulated among Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs), a member of the group using the name Ruben insisted that their group was legitimate and that its activities were with the consent of the Saudi Ministry of Interior. “It’s true that military training is forbidden by the Kingdom’s laws, but the Ministry of Interior is aware of this one. Even the Philippine Embassy is aware of it,” said the writer in a letter in Filipino to Alexander E. Asuncion.

The letter was in response to a column of Asuncion in Pinoy Xtra telling his readers to beware of the apparent scam. Asuncion was answering a query by one of his readers, who said he was recruited for training.

Asuncion said he had received threats through voice mail and text messages for issuing the warning. “I was only doing my duty as a writer and a community leader by warning our countrymen of such scams,” he said.

Other community leaders have rallied behind Asuncion and vowed to help expose the perpetrators of the scam.

Word From the PNP

Responding to queries by community organizations, the PNP national headquarters in Camp Crame, Quezon City, immediately distanced itself from SMPII’s activities and said an investigation was under way, and that appropriate charges would be filed against the leaders of SMPII if evidence warrants.

An e-mail by Senior Inspector Christine R. Bagundol, of the Police Community Relations Group, said there is indeed a Sanggunian ng Masang Pilipino International, Inc. (SAMPII) that is an accredited nongovernmental organization or NGO of the PNP, but it was not known if this is the same group operating in Saudi Arabia as SMPII.

What is certain, according to the PCRG official, is that “NGOs accredited by the PNP are not authorized to use the name of the PNP in any of their activities, especially in recruiting members and soliciting money from other entities.”

“More so, the use of the PNP logo in their document such as certificates is strongly prohibited. The PNP does not tolerate any acts such as this,” the official warned.

The Philippine Embassy in Riyadh said it was also made aware of SMPII’s recruitment activities.

Consul General Nestor Padalhin, the embassy’s charge d’affaires, said in a telephone interview that a report had been sent to the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) in Manila to coordinate with the PNP for appropriate action.

Padalhin added that he has not seen any member of SMPII since he was new in the post. “I heard of them through their requests for consular and labor assistance but have not personally met any of their leaders or members,” he said.

‘Playing on Ignorance’

According to leaders of the V-Team, a group of volunteers helping distressed Filipino workers in the Kingdom, some of the victims are based in Gadim Sinaiyah, Naseem, Ghubeira, Manfouha, Suweidi, Shifa, Sultana and 2nd Industrial City of Riyadh.

Recruits reportedly undergo military exercises every first and second Fridays of each month at grounds located somewhere in the Dirab area.

Some of the recruits who provided the documents said they were told that once they have completed their training, they would be equipped with complete documents that would make them influential or powerful when they are in the Philippines.

“We were told that we would be exempt from excessive inspections at airports or wherever we go and that we will have no difficulty getting a license for our guns,” one of the recruits said.

An embassy official, who spoke on condition he not be named, said some leaders of the group kept harassing the embassy staff. On one occasion, a leader of the group reportedly asked the embassy’s consular section to authenticate a fake marriage license, but the request was denied, said the official.

“They are also telling their members they had ousted Ambassador Bahnarim Guinomla from Riyadh, but in fact the DFA assigned the ambassador to Turkey,” the official added.

One recruit said they were told that they could even arrest President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo once they complete the training.

Arab News learned that local authorities are also looking into the group’s activities, and that the real names of the people behind it are already known.

“Maj. Tanaliga is just an alias. The real names of those involved are already known not just to the Philippine government but to Saudi authorities as well,” a community leader said.

One V-Team member criticized embassy officials for passing the buck to Manila instead of doing something. “Our embassy officials are afraid of this SMPII. They should at least investigate or summon the people behind this scam and tell them to stop. The least that they could do is to issue a warning to our workers to beware. Many of our fellow OFWs are gullible and it’s the duty of the embassy to protect them,” said the V-Team volunteer.

Other community organizations and leaders have also been instrumental in exposing other scams victimizing Filipino workers in the Kingdom and elsewhere.