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Emmanuel Tupas - The Philippine Star
January 4, 2026 | 12:00am
In a statement, the PNP said the scammer is using Banac’s name and falsely presenting a PNP Academy Class of 1992 seal in asking for money through the messaging app Viber.
Pixabay / File
MANILA, Philippines — Scammers are using the name of Lt. Gen. Bernard Banac, the second highest ranking officer of the Philippine National Police, to solicit money from unsuspecting people, the PNP warned.
In a statement, the PNP said the scammer is using Banac’s name and falsely presenting a PNP Academy Class of 1992 seal in asking for money through the messaging app Viber.
Banac is a member of the Philippine Military Academy Tanglaw-Diwa Class of 1992.
“The Viber account and mobile number involved are not associated with Lt. Gen. Banac,” the PNP said.
The PNP stressed that Banac does not request, authorize or tolerate any form of money solicitation, adding that any message suggesting otherwise is fraudulent and intended to mislead the public.
It also urged the public to ignore and report unsolicited messages requesting money using the identities of police officials.
“Preserve screenshots and digital evidence when reporting such incidents,” the PNP said.
The Anti-Cybercrime Group and PNP intelligence units are investigating to identify the people using Banac’s name.
