By Dominique Gabriel G. Bañaga

La Castellana Councilor Donato Dumaguit issued an apology over his alleged involvement in the Philippine National Police (PNP) recruitment scam, claiming he was also victimized.

In an interview with Bombo Radyo-Bacolod over the weekend, Dumaguit was emotional as he apologized to the victims of the scam.

He said he was also victimized by Mary Jun delos Santos.

Dumaguit said he did not receive any money from the police aspirants because he directed the payments to Delos Santos.

As of press time, Delos Santos is now unreachable.

The councilor said he no longer knew what the victims were asking because he discouraged them from contacting him.

He was not able to file a complaint against Delos Santos because the latter went into hiding, claiming that he had discovered an alleged plot in his life.

The councilor knew that town residents were familiar with him, as some warned him not to go home for the time being.

Dumaguit further added that he can only explain everything once Delos Santos is apprehended by the authorities.

Earlier, 47 individuals sought the help of law enforcement agencies after they were scammed for recruitment to the PNP in exchange for P300,000 each.

Delos Santos has allegedly used other law enforcement agencies, such as the Philippine Coast Guard, Bureau of Fire Protection, and the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology to scam people.

The National Police Commission in Western Visayas, the Negros Occidental Police Provincial Office, and the National Bureau of Investigation are now investigating the scam./DGB, WDJ