NATIONAL Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) Acting Director Debold Sinas on Thursday, October 24, said his men who allegedly tried to slip contraband into the New Bilibid Prison (NBP) are not liable for grave misconduct.
In an interview with reporters in Quezon City, Sinas said the 16 policemen were not yet inside the NBP Quad Intel Force when cellphones, cigarettes and liquor were found in their possession.
“We had initial findings that I would like to correct. First we would like to correct that the 16 are not actually caught bringing inside NBP because according to our inquiry nakuha po ang cellphone, ‘yung 2 sticks ng sigarilyo at isang alak dun po sa labas kasi ang ugali pala bago papasukin sa NBP naga-accounting muna tapos ‘yung cellphone kinukuha para sa deposit," Sinas said.
"Sabi ng isa kasi iba-iba sila they come in separately not as a group so na late siguro sila sa formation di kaagad nakapunta sa loob para iwanan (ang cellphone) nung naka formation saka inilibas,” he added.
Sinas said maintaining the formation is held at the back of the Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) grandstand, which is still outside the NBP.
“I don’t think there’s a grave offense sa kanila kasi nga they never violated any policy. Nasa formation po sila. Siguro ang titingnan ko ‘yung nagdala ng alak, bakit siya nagdala ng alak sa formation,” he added.
Sinas said based on the explanation of some of the 16 cops, the cigarettes confiscated were for personal use and they usually consume these after the formation and before getting inside the NBP.
The 16 cops were earlier relieved from post pending investigation on the matter.
They were reassigned to the Regional Personnel Holding and Accounting Unit while an investigation is ongoing.
Sinas said they have not determined yet the administrative charges that would be filed against the policemen.
Of the 16 cops, 14 have already submitted themselves to authorities. They are still trying to locate the two others.
Sinas said they have submitted the recovered cellphones to the Anti-Cybercrime Group to determine whether this was for personal use and not for sale to inmates as alleged.
He said they are coordinating with concerned officials to iron out an arrangement on the deployment of NCRPO cops in the NBP to avoid similar incidents.
Newly appointed BuCor Director General Gerald Bantag earlier tapped the NCRPO for deployment of cops in the NBP after he relieved all the prison guards amid the corruption allegations hurled at several BuCor personnel.
Thirty BuCor officials and staff have been preventively suspended while the Ombudsman looks into the corruption allegations. (SunStar Philippines)