'Nang-aano kayo eh': Napolcom dismisses 'harassment cases' vs cops in Tondo e-sabong raid
At A Glance
- The operators of the raided online sabong claimed that CIDG operatives stole bet money.
- It turned out that the officer seen pocketing a ticket was a pre-arranged signal for cops to raid the establishment
There are truthful allegations, and then there are fake ones.
And in the case of the raid on an online sabong site in Tondo, Manila, the National Police Commission (Napolcom) said the cases filed against the operatives of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) are plain and simple harassment charges.
On Thursday, Napolcom Commissioner Ralph Calinisan announced the dismissal of the complaints against the CIDG-National Capital Region operatives on the case of abuses filed by the owners and operators of the online sabong site which was raided on March 24.
‘Napolcom will not allow itself to be used as an instrument for harassment against police officers who are lawfully discharging their sworn duties,” said Calinisan.
“While we remain resolute in our mandate to discipline erring personnel within the PNP, we are equally committed to protecting our officers from baseless and retaliatory complaints,” he added.
In the complaint, the e-sabong also accused the policemen of theft but Napolcom said there was no probable cause to pursue the case based on the assessment of the pieces of evidence presented by the accused.
This includes the video of a supposed CIDG operative pocketing something but reportedly turned out to be an agreed signal for the policemen to conduct the raid.
Philippine National Police spokesperson Brig. Gen. Randulf T. Tuaño explained that the officer seen in the video was actually collecting a “bet ticket” as evidence and using a “pre-arranged signal” to alert his team.
“The movement of our operative was not theft of money but the retrieval of a bet ticket as evidence after he had already entered,” Tuaño said. “After recovering the bet ticket, he signaled his colleagues.”
The raid resulted in the arrest of 174 individuals. Authorities also seized 48 desktop computers used as betting stations, 24 live roosters, cockfighting gaffs, and various cash amounts.
Calinisan, for his part, said their findings affirm the legality and propriety of the CIDG-NCR operation and reinforce the principle that administrative processes must never be exploited to undermine legitimate law enforcement actions.
“Upholding justice means ensuring accountability where warranted—and protection where deserved,” Calinisan said.