By Priam Nepomuceno | Philippine News Agency
The Philippine Navy (PN) has defended one of its junior officers tagged as an incorporator of some 193 companies, several found to be illegal Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs).
“As we take cognizance of the apparent commission of identity theft implicating the name of Lt. Jessa Mendoza — a PN junior officer of good repute — as director or incorporator in several companies involved in offshore gaming activities and other businesses during the ongoing Senate inquiry, the PN affirms our support to our fellow serviceman in her resolve to prove her innocence and clear her reputation,” PN Spokesperson Commander John Percie Alcos said in a statement late Wednesday.
Earlier, Mendoza appeared before the Senate Committee on Women and Children’s investigation on POGOs to clear her name.
She vehemently denied being the incorporator of these spurious companies.
“A formal internal inquiry was likewise initiated in close coordination with Lt. Mendoza, aimed toward shedding light on how her name was dragged into this issue,” Alcos said.
He added that the PN can “attest” to Mendoza’s untarnished record in her decade of honorable service.
Alcos added that the junior officer always upholds the “core values and highest standards of being a respectable naval officer.”
The Navy official meanwhile, called on all personnel and the public to take precautions to prevent themselves from being victims of identity theft.
