Gen. Rommel Francisco Marbil, chief of the Philippine National Police (PNP) ordered on Wednesday, Sept. 18, a thorough investigation into the allegation that a former top cop of the organization is on a monthly payroll and even facilitated the escape of dismissed Bamban, Tarlac mayor Alice Guo.
Marbil said he already instructed the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) to coordinate with the Philippine Amusement Gaming Corporation (Pagcor) to get more details from the “talks in its intelligence community” about the role of a former PNP chief.
In a press briefing, PNBP spokesperson Col. Jean Fajardo said Marbil was interested to know more about the allegation since it is now affecting the entire police organization.
“During the command conference, he said that regardless of who it is, if he would be proven to have a role in the escape and worse received monthly payola, then he would be held accountable. There is no sacred cow in this,” said Fajardo.
During a Senate investigation on Tuesday, retired general and Pagcor senior vice president Raul Villanueva said there are talks in the intelligence community that a former PNP chief was involved in the escape of Guo. But he did not name names.
The problem with it, according to Fajardo, is that Villanueva himself said that these are just rumors.
Marbil is the 30th Chief PNP and Fajardo said there are 24 living former PNP chiefs.
Three former PNP chiefs denied knowing Guo and two of them called on Villanueva to name names.
Fajardo, however, said that Marbil has committed to look into the allegation.
“We will not lose our focus. We will be coordinating closely with Pagcor and other agencies for purposes of identifying this individual and if there are pieces of evidence for the filing of cases,’ said Fajardo.