The incumbent Philippine National Police (PNP) chief on Thursday told lawmakers that 24 of his predecessors are now under scrutiny after a retired military intelligence officer alleged that one of them was taking monthly bribes from Alice Guo and may have helped facilitate her short-lived escape.
During the Senate budget deliberations for the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) and its attached agencies, Police Gen. Rommel Marbil said his organization is “not happy” about the bombshell revelation of retired Major General Raul Villanueva.
Villanueva made the revelation before the Senate in his capacity as security and monitoring cluster head of the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (Pagcor), the agency that regulates all gambling activities in the country, including online gaming operations.
Marbil chided the retired Intelligence Service of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (ISAFP) head for making such an ambiguous allegation that can potentially taint the reputations of recent PNP chiefs.
“Since he [Villanueva] is under oath, [he has] to tell us [the name of the corrupt PNP chief] because it affects the whole [PNP] organization. And remember, it’s not the whole organization of the PNP alone. It is peace and order being affected by what he said,” he pointed out.
Meanwhile in the House hearing, former Cebu City congressman and mayor Tommy Osmeña alleged that retired Police Col. Royina Garma, who is reportedly close to former President Rodrigo Roa Duterte, was allegedly receiving P1 million a week in payola when she was chief of the Philippine National Police Criminal Investigation and Detection Group in Davao City.
“I was made aware that in the previous hearing that Col. Garma said that our differences was personal. I just want you to know Mr. Chairman that I did not know her,” Osmeña told the joint panel.
Osmeña said he opposed Garma’s transfer to Cebu after receiving information that she is collecting P1 million a week as chief of the CIDG in Davao City.
Marbil told Senators that his office is writing a letter to Villanueva to demand that he identify the corrupt PNP chief he referred to during Wednesday’s hearing on illegal Philippine Overseas Gaming Operators (POGOs) or recant his allegation.
“He has to tell us the name… or else you have to clarify to the Senate that no such thing ever existed,” said the national police chief.
Still, Marbil assured, “We are investigating 24 of our former CPNP [chief Philippine National Police].”
It remains unclear why the supposed internal probe includes 24 former police chiefs.
Since the PNP was established in March 1991, when the Philippine Constabulary and Integrated National Police broke off from the AFP, there have been 28 national police chiefs, with Marbil being the 28th.
Seven PNP chiefs served during the Duterte administration, with six of them still living.
There have so far been six PNP chiefs since the Marcos administration took office.
Only these 11 PNP chiefs have served since the first POGOs arrived in the Philippines during the early part of the Duterte presidency.
Meanwhile, during the budget hearing for his agency, DILG Sec. Benhur Abalos expressed confidence that Marbil can ably probe Villanueva’s allegations.
“Everybody wants to know who… but let the chief PNP answer that one,” he said.
Editor’s Note: This is an updated article. Originally posted with the headline: “24 ex-top cops under probe for allegedly helping Alice Guo escape”
