CAMP OLIVAS, City of San Fernando, Pampanga -- Police Regional Office 3 Regional Director Brig. Gen. Matthew P Baccay ordered Thursday the immediate relief of 10 Provincial Intelligence Unit (PIU) members from post for alleged involvement in robbery activities.
According to the PRO3 report, the decision to relieve the 10 PIU members stemmed from a police operation against illegal cockfighting or ‘tupada’ inside a compound at Brgy. Duat, Bacolor, Pampanga.
In that operation, the raiders made an inventory of bet money which would have been used as evidence, but a certain Alberto Gopez, the owner of the compound and one of the accosted among the complainants, pleaded to the operatives not to pursue the formal complaint against them.
The operatives agreed to drop the complainants and left the compound without returning the money.
The complainants were referred by the Pampanga Governor and Bacolor Municipal Mayor to the PPO for investigation, but opted to file their criminal complaints through their own legal counsel.
Meantime, the Chief of Police of Bacolor was directed to assist in the preparation of criminal charges while the administrative cases were being spearheaded by the Pampanga PPO.
Those accused personnels were immediately transferred to the Provincial Personnel Holding and Accounting Unit (PPHAU).
Their issued firearms were also recalled so they may not be able to intervene in the investigation process, PRO3 said.
"We did not fall short in our warnings and memo directives reminding all PNP personnel to never engage in illegal activities,” PBGen Baccay said.
“This will serve as a stern warning to all PNP personnel and we will continue to weed out hoodlums and punish the undisciplined among our ranks," he added.
Meanwhile, Pampanga Gov. Dennis ‘Delta’ Pineda expressed disgust over the men in uniforms in the province.
In his Facebook page, he posted ‘Bawal ang pulis scalawags.’
“Matapos po ang imbestigasyon na aking hiningi ay nagrekomenda po ang Pampanga provincial police ng kasong robbery laban sa 10 pulis na nagsagawa ng sinasabi nilang raid sa isang pribadong bahay sa Bacolor kung saan may tupada raw na naganap noong March 19. Nawala po ang P379,700 cash at mga alahas. “Bawal po sa Pampanga ang mga pulis na sangkot sa ganitong insidente,” added the governor.