QUEZON CITY, (PIA) – The Department of Budget and Management (DBM) on Thursday, June 1, issued a statement alerting the general public to be cautious of fixers and fraudsters who offer undue facilitation of government transactions in exchange for bribes or any gain. 

“We remain firm in upholding integrity, diligence, and transparency in all our processes and transactions, in adherence with existing laws, rules, and regulations, especially on the requesting and releasing of public funds,”  the statement read. 

The department thus emphasized that no individual or group will be authorized to solicit money, goods, or in-kind favors in return for an expedited transaction of bureaucratic procedures. 

“We will not, in any way, tolerate or condone false representation or solicitation of any kind as this is a clear violation of the law,” it added. 

Meanwhile, to prevent scammers, middlemen, or any organized group from making fraudulent representations to influence the agency’s regulations, the DBM reminded the public that the submission of requests for Local Government Support Fund - Financial Assistance (LGSF-FA) to Local Government Units (LGUs) should only be made through the Digital Requests Submission for Local Government Support Fund (DRSL). 

The said platform can be accessed in the DBM Applications Documentation Portal. Any other means through which the documents are submitted will be automatically denied, according to the department. 

Moreover, the DBM announced that it will directly deal with the concerned local chief executives of LGUs regarding the release of LGSF-FA. 

It also urged the public to remain vigilant of such fraudulent activities to avoid becoming a victim. In case they encounter suspicious conduct of red tape practices, the public are entitled to report to the concerned authorities to file appropriate administrative charges. 

To report scams or other fraudulent activities, the public must direct to (02) 865-7-3300. (PIA-NCR)