Forty-nine police officers belonging to the Bamban Municipal Police Station in Tarlac have been relieved to undergo reorientation amid investigations into the illegal Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs) in Mayor Alice Guo’s hometown.
Meanwhile, the camp of suspended Bamban, Tarlac Mayor Alice Guo said Tuesday they would file a motion to lift her six-month suspension.
“We will prove that the evidence is not strong. In fact, there is no evidence,”Guo’s lawyer Stephen David told Teleradyo Serbisyo.
In a press briefing at Camp Crame on Tuesday, Philippine National Police (PNP) spokesperson Col. Jean Fajardo said the 49 police officers will be assigned to the Regional Personnel Holding and Accounting Unit of the Police Regional Office-3, Central Luzon.
PRO-3 1st and 2nd Provincial Mobile Force Companies will be taking over the responsibilities of the officers, including nearby Tarlac City and the towns of Concepcion and Capas.
As for the reassigned officers, “They will undergo what we call focused reformation and reorientation for police officers, or what we call the FORM,” Fajardo said. The reorientation would be held at the PNP Training Service School for Values and Leadership in Subic in Zambales.
Earlier, the town’s chief of police was also relieved following the March 13 police raid of 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,” Fajardo said.
Meanwhile, a six-month suspension has been imposed by the Office of the Ombudsman on Guo including municipal officials Edwin Ocampo, and Adenn Sigua in connection with the graft charges filed by the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG).
The DILG alleged that it was Guo who gave POGOs the green light to operate in the municipality.
The Ombudsman suspended Guo, Ocampo, and Sigua “considering […] strong evidence showing their guilt”. The charges include grave misconduct, conduct prejudicial to the best interest of the service, and gross neglect of duty.
Ocampo worked at the Municipal Business Permits and Licensing Office while Sigua as municipal legal officer.
