The Philippine National Police (PNP) on Thursday defended the reassignment of Brig. Gen. Romeo Macapaz, former chief of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG), to Region 12. Officials said the move had nothing to do with the ongoing probe into the missing sabungeros.
PNP spokesperson Brig. Gen. Jean Fajardo said Macapaz was not removed due to pressure or mishandling of the case. “He was just doing his job. It’s very unfair to imply otherwise,” she said in a press briefing at Camp Crame.
Fajardo noted that the reassignment was Macapaz’s personal request. She emphasized that he was a seasoned intelligence officer whose expertise would now be used to combat smuggling and prepare for elections in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region.
Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla had earlier asked the PNP chief to relieve one officer involved in the sabungero case, but did not name Macapaz. Fajardo clarified that Macapaz was not the officer being referred to.
The PNP assured the public that the investigation into the missing sabungeros continues, and that justice for the victims and their families remains the main priority. “We will follow the evidence wherever it leads,” Fajardo said.
