NSC warns public on elaborate hoax, money scams of Leftist groups

LE September 18, 2023

National Security Council (NSC) Assistant Director General Jonathan Malaya on Friday (Sept. 15, 2023) warned the public against falling prey to the elaborate hoax and fraudulent money-making schemes by Leftist groups out of manufactured claims against security agencies of the government.

He made this warning after the PNP reported that the two (2) students who Leftist groups claimed were abducted by government security forces had actually bolted their organization and sought the help of authorities for their safe return home. Jhed Tamano and Jonila Castro are currently safe and sound in a government safehouse after they went to authorities for help after leaving the movement.

“Kumakalap po sila ng pera gaya nang sa GCash with the intent of using this to discredit and put government in a bad light. They want the international community to believe that this country is a failed state,” Malaya told the media during a press conference held at the National Press Club (NPC) in Manila led by the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC).

Malaya cited the case of Jhed Tamano and Jonila Castro, whose “abduction” was blamed by Karapatan, Anakbayan, AKAP Ka, Pamalakaya and Oceana, among others, on security forces.

At the same time, Malaya lamented that the Karapatan-led offensive included a shameless fundraising drive to collect money from the public purportedly to help locate the two young girls. It turned out, however, that the two students bolted their underground organization and went under the care of a friend.

Malaya slammed Karapatan’s massive disinformation campaign like its “Surface Jonila and Jed Network” which were made out of manufactured threads of storylines using the internet that even the media, the viewing public and the government became victims of the elaborate deception.

He said the NSC and PNP, particularly its Cybercrime Group, have started to build up a case against the CTG scammers through the help of the Department of Justice (DoJ).

“We will certainly look into their possible legal liabilities in relation to the Revised Penal Code, anti-cybercrime law and other special laws. We’re working now with the DoJ for the possible filing of charges against them,” Malaya assured.

Police Captain Carlito Buco of the Bataan Provincial Police Office told reporters that Tamano and Castro were safe and sound in a government safe-house. The police presented videos of the two (2) students meeting their parents, the Commission on Human Rights and the Public Attorney’s Office. Mr Enrique Manalastas, father of Jhed Tamano, also joined the press conference.

Buco, citing from the final investigation report, clarified that Tamano and Castro were not “abducted” or cannot be declared “missing persons” since the two young girls were staying at a Methodist church in Orion town as early as September 1 and had been planning to leave their organization.

There, they sought help of a certain “Ate” to extricate them but Buco did not identify the latter for security reasons. “Ate” then brought the two to Guagua, Pampanga where they stayed until September 11 without money to buy for food and other things they needed.

“Binenta na nga po nila ang kanilang mga cellphone para may ipambili ng pagkain at iba pang gamit nila,” Buco narrated.

To this, Malaya said Tamano and Castro “left the movement of their own volition”, adding they’re not “environmentalists” as Karapatan, Anakbayan and others were claiming but “community organizers”. “Ate” then sought the help of the authorities who arranged for them to be taken to a safe house for safety reasons on September 12.

At present, Buco said that their parents can visit them at their safehouse anytime by just coordinating with the police or the Commission on High Rights Region 3. “Natatakot po sila para sa seguridad nila kaya humingi sila ng tulong sa mga authoridad,” said Buco clarifying that their fears emanated not from the government but from the organizations that used and capitalized on their innocence.

“Narinig na po natin ang masusing imbestigasyon ng pulisya. Lahat ng pinagsasabi ng mga organisasyon na ‘yan ay walang katotohanan, it’s elaborate hoax, elaborate scams. This only shows that they came out all prepared with a template of their own narratives,” said Malaya, adding that “no abduction happened” based on the sworn affidavits of the two girls.”

He said the police investigation report also belied the orchestrated fact-finding mission led by Karapatan trumpeting that Tamano and Cartro’s case was “state-perpetrated,” maliciously using also unverified data that at least 15 cases of alleged enforced disappearances were already recorded in the Marcos administration. ###