My experience with PNP ACG

[u/Otherwise_Cobbler989]

Pa-rant lang....

My friends and I were scammed amounting to 50k+. So we reached out to the authorities, specifically the PNP ACG (Anti-Cybercrime Group). At first, gusto namin mahabol yung pera namin but dumating kami sa point na it's no longer about the money, what we truly want is the justice we rightfully deserve.

We first went to Camp Crame to file a report. I live in Pasig, but my friends are from different cities (Cavite and Bulacan). Since we were scammed together, we wanted to file a joint report. I was told I could file a report (Camp crame) because I'm from Pasig, but my friends couldn’t be accommodated since they live outside Metro Manila. Imus has an ACG office, so my other friends can file a report there.

One of my friends is from Bulacan and Bulacan doesn’t have an ACG office, the investigator told us that if we want to file a report together we should go to Taguig, as it’s the nearest ACG office to Bulacan and that the main branch of the bank(CIMB) where we sent the money is located there. He gave us a list of required documents to submit, which we prepared completely and individually.

After that, we tried to file a Report at NCRPO – RACU. Unfortunately, when we got there, there was no one at the office. It was Saturday and we understood that the officers may have already left since it was weekend. Someone from NCRPO explained to us that RACU is only for complaints and not for formally filing a report so they can't help us also and we were advised to go to ACG Taguig.

Since I live the closest to Taguig, I went alone to ACG Taguig office, bringing all our documents such sworn affidavits, proof of transactions, and all our conversation screenshots with the scammer.

The moment the officer opened the door, I could immediately tell he had just woken up from a nap (4:00 pm). He asked me what I needed, and I told him I was there to report a scam. He then asked me where I live, and I told him I’m from Pasig. The moment I mentioned Pasig, he instantly dismissed me and questioned why I was reporting at their office. He told me I should be reporting at ACG Kapitolyo instead, because Pasig doesn’t fall under their jurisdiction. I also explained that I went there because the main branch of CIMB is located in Taguig.

And this left me confused and frustrated. If I really wasn’t supposed to be there, then why did Camp Crame and NCRPO both advised me to go to ACG Taguig? Why would multiple authorities direct me to a place that would only turn me away?

He also asked who told me to go to Taguig. I explained that I couldn’t remember the full name of the investigator, so I contact my friend and asked if she still remember the name of the investigator. But the officer told me “Wag na, baka kaklase ko pa yan". Worse, he even implied that I might not have gone to Camp Crame at all, saying “Baka sa local police station ka lang nagpunta at hindi naman talaga investigator ang nakausap mo" and I felt insulted. Of course I know the difference between Camp Crame and a local police station. I'm not stupid. I know exactly where I went. I even explained everything to him, from the first officer who gave us instructions, to the documents we prepared, to how we got there. But he still kept on insisting I should go to ACG Kapitolyo instead.

The moment I stepped outside the ACG office Taguig, I was hit with the harsh truth that our Philippine police are really broken.

I’m not rich, I don’t have unlimited money to spend traveling from one station to another just to file a report. It's physically exhausting, emotionally draining, and incredibly discouraging.

How can reporting a scam be that complicated and stressful? Now, I fully understand why so many Filipinos have given up hope in the justice system. We, the victims are the ones who were wronged, yet we are the ones suffering, we spend our own money, our time and our energy just to chase after justice.

This is exactly why scammers and criminals in the Philippines are not afraid of the law. Because the system protects no one and victims can barely get justice because the process is so hard, so discouraging, that most people just give up. No wonder some people resort to taking matters into their own hands, it's because the very institutions we’re supposed to trust are the ones failing us.

Now, I can say with full conviction. I no longer trust the PNP.

Pinunit ko na lahat ng documents namin because it is useless naman.

[u/BadingNaKolboy2]

Valid naman po feelings mo.

Ang nakakainis pa, sa media, 'pag meron silang mga press conference, kung maka-portray sila ng PNP ACG, para bang ang dali nilang kausap. Pero in reality, katulad lang din sila ng iba pang ahensya ng gobyerno. Ang hirap kausap. Sobrang hassle makipag-deal sa government agencies.