Former Bacolod City Councilor and current spokesperson for the Negros chapter of Kilusang Pagbabago (Movement for Change) Archie Baribar warned local residents of a scam being conducted by a group called Alyansa General Parent-Teachers’ Association-Indigenous People, Inc. (AGPTA-IP, Inc.) soliciting money for barangay appointments.

Back in September, Baribar wrote a letter to Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Undersecretary for Local Government Austere Panadero to inquire about AGPTA-IP, Inc., questioning their legitimacy. He noted in his letter, the group requests between P50 to P150 from clients, who sign a letter requesting a barangay appointment, along with completing membership forms.

In response, DILG Officer-in-Charge Catalino Cuy disavowed any purported connection to the group, saying in his letter, “We do not sanction nor endorse any and all forms of solicitation regarding appointments to government posts.”

He suggested to the public, “Ignore messages which may ask you to give money, favors, or any other matter in exchange for appointment to government posts.”

Back in July, Bacolod City-Liga ng mga Barangay (Liga) President and Barangay Tangub Captain Noli Villarosa warned of scams that demanded money in exchange for barangay appointments. He claimed groups supposedly linked with President Rodrigo Duterte and his political party, PDP-Laban, were behind the schemes./PLL, WDJ