Manila, June 18 -- The Philippine National Police (PNP) on Thursday intensified operations against individuals posing as personnel of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) to scam people in areas affected by the magnitude 7.8 earthquake in Mindanao.

PNP chief Gen. Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr. ordered increased police visibility and closer coordination among law enforcement units following reports that scammers have been exploiting disaster-hit communities by pretending to be government inspectors and project evaluators.

"There is a special place in hell for these people who take advantage of the situation in Mindanao for their personal gains," Nartatez said in a statement. "But right now, our focus is to identify all of them...