The Philippine National Police (PNP) confirmed on Tuesday that 49 police officers of Bamban Municipal Police Station in Tarlac were relieved from their posts following the Office of the Obudsman's suspension order of the municipality’s mayor, Alice Guo.
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In a press briefing in Camp Crame, Quezon City on Tuesday, PNP spokesperson Col. Jean Fajardo said the 49 personnel were relieved to give way to an ongoing investigation concerning the illegal Philippine Offshore Gaming Operator (POGO) activities in the town.
Fajardo said the affected police officers will be assigned to the Regional Personnel Holding and Accounting Unit of the Police Regional Office-3 (PRO-Central Luzon).
"Sasa-ilalim sila doon sa tinatawag nating focused reformation and reorientation for police officers, 'yung tinatawag nating FORM diyan ,” Fajardo said.
The FORM, according to Fajardo will be held at the PNP Training Service School for Values and Leadership in Subic, Zambales.
Fajardo also disclosed that Bamban's chief of Police was earlier relieved following the March 13 raid by law enforcers on the POGO establishment Zun Yuan Technology Inc.
“If you may recall, this is not the first time that we relieved police officers and many of them are commanders. It's not only our ordinary police officers who are involved in illegal activities, neglect of duty, or serious irregularity in the performance of duty because we are also holding their immediate supervisors accountable, which include chiefs of police," said the PNP spokesperson.
In an order dated May 31 released to the media on Monday, June 5, Ombudsman Samuel Martires said there are “sufficient grounds to preventively suspend” Guo and two other town officials “considering that there is strong evidence showing their guilt.”
Guo, Municipal Legal Officer Adenn Sigua, and Officer Edwin Ocampo of the Municipal Business Permits and Licensing Office were all placed on preventive suspension without pay while the inquiry against them was being handled. But the Ombudsman says their suspension should not exceed six months.
The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) earlier requested the suspension of Guo and other municipal officials.
