Four operatives of the Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) team in Pasig City were relieved from their posts amid ongoing investigation into their presence at a private event of a networking company in the city and subsequent posting of their photos on Facebook.
In an interview Thursday, Eastern Police District (EPD) director Brig. Gen. Wilson Asueta clarified that the involved SWAT members are from Pasig City, not from Batangas province as reported earlier.
Initial report showed that the incident happened about 1 p.m. on June 22, when the SWAT team’s patrol vehicle stopped in front of a bank along San Miguel Ave. in Barangay San Antonio.
A woman later identified as an employee of a nearby networking firm Prime Z approached one of the team’s members, a certain “Police M/Sgt. Noche” who was then sitting at the back of the patrol vehicle, and asked him if they can take pictures with the SWAT team as they were holding an event for their opening.
The SWAT team accepted the request and went to the lobby of the firm’s building where the picture-taking was held. They were then invited for snacks at the building’s 24th floor but they refused, saying they needed to continue their mobile patrols.
The team provided a contact number to the company for police assistance purposes and left the place.
Asueta said the SWAT team was unaware that the photo was posted on social media using the company’s Facebook account.