THE Philippine National Police (PNP) has replaced all the personnel assigned at the Bamban Municipal Police Station (MPS) in the province of Tarlac amid issues concerning suspended Mayor Alice Guo, who is being linked to Pogo operations.
In a press conference in Camp Crame on Tuesday, June 4, 2024, PNP chief of the Public Information Office (PIO) Colonel Jean Fajardo said 47 personnel and two police officials, not including the chief of police, of the Bamban MPS were reassigned to the Regional Police Holding and Accounting Unit and will undergo focus reformation and reorientation training program.
They were replaced by police personnel from various municipalities in Tarlac during a turnover ceremony presided over by Police Regional Office-Central Luzon (PRO 3) Director Brigadier General Jose Hidalgo Jr. on Monday, June 3.
Fajardo said the relief of the police personnel was implemented to pave the way for the investigation on their alleged failure to detect the illegal activities in the raided Pogo hub, Zun Yuan Technology Incorporated (ZYTI), which is situated near the town hall.
“In this case ‘yung administrative relief nitong mga 49 personnel is to give way doon sa investigation being conducted to determine the possible liability for neglect of duty. How come for the longest time ay nag-ooperate itong sinasabing illegal na Pogo diyan sa kanilang lugar. How come hindi nila namonitor na may mga ganito na palang illegal activities,” she said.
“So kapagka ganyang may malalaking krimen diyan sa isang lugar, may mga illegal activities na nangyayari and yet hindi gumaganap sa kanilang mga tungkulin ang kanilang mga kapulisan, so ang tinitingnan natin ‘yung possible negligence at kapabayaan doon sa kanilang trabaho,” she added.
(So when there are major crimes in an area, and there are illegal activities happening and yet their police officers are not performing their duties, so what we are looking at is the possible negligence and carelessness in their work.)
Fajardo assured that police service in Bamban will not be hampered following the overhaul.
The raid was conducted after a Vietnamese worker escaped from the Pogo facility and reported to the police.
It resulted in the rescue of 800 employees, including around 500 foreigners, of which 427 were Chinese nationals.
The chief of police of Bamban was relieved of command responsibility following the raid.
ZYTI is currently being investigated in the Senate Committee on Women, Children, Family Relations, and Gender Equality over its links to various illegal activities such as human trafficking, surveillance activities and hacking of government websites.
The probe centered on how the firm was given a permit to operate, which put Bamban Mayor Alice Guo in hot water, with lawmakers digging on her identity over the possibility that she is a “Chinese spy.”
Guo also admitted during the inquiry that half of the land the firm was leasing belongs to her, which the lawmakers assumed as the reason why the ZYTI was favored.
Guo, along with two other Bamban local officials, was ordered suspended by the Office of the Ombudsman for 60 days over charges of grave misconduct, serious dishonesty, gross neglect of duty and conduct prejudicial to the best interest of the service filed against them by the Department of the Interior and Local Government. (TPM/SunStar Philippines)