Updated November 16, 2017, 1:36 PM
By Charissa Luci-Atienza

The House of Representatives will step in and look into the growing number of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) and their families who have been victimized by “Budol-Budol” gangs.

“Budol-Budol” refers to a form of swindling punishable under Article 315 (2) (a)  of the Revised Penal Code.  The gangs normally prey on unsuspecting persons using fraud, oftentimes promising get-rich quick schemes to get their victims to part with their hard-earned money.

Negros Occidental Rep.  Alfredo “Albee” Benitez, chairman of the House Committee on Housing and Urban Development,  is set to file on Monday, November 20, a resolution urging the appropriate panel to look into reports of Budol-Budol gangs that target OFWs and retirees.

A recent victim was reported to have been swindled out of more than a million pesos by a member of the “Budol-Budol” gang after the perpetrator promised to buy real estate properties once their victim agrees to purchase the fertilizers they are selling.

“This should serve as a serious warning to OFWs and their families who are lured by promises of quick return on investment schemes and land deal scams, ” Benitez said.

The National Bureau of Investigation has been running after the Budol-Budol gang since the 1990s. The NBI has arrested and filed cases against several members of around 20 “Budol-Budol” gangs.

Benitez said Congress should take a second look at the Revised Penal Code to impose heavier penalties against swindling.