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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider PNP probes Central Luzon top cop over 'unreported killings' in POGO hubs

PNP probes Central Luzon top cop over 'unreported killings' in POGO hubs

Published Jun 24, 2024 04:37 am
marbil1.jpg
PNP chief Police General Rmmel Francisco Marbil (File photo)

The Philippine National Police (PNP) is investigating the regional director of Central Luzon Police Regional Office (PRO-3) due to alleged unreported killings that occurred in illegal Philippine Offshore Gaming Operator (Pogo) hubs in his area of responsibility.

No less than PNP chief Police General Rommel Francisco Marbil confirmed this in a press conference at Camp Crame in Quezon City on Monday, June 24.

“We are investigating the regional director sa reports na hindi naaaksyunan nang mabuti (due to reports that are not acted upon properly). We put accountability on our regional directors,” Marbil said.

Although the PNP chief did not mention any names, the PNP website identified the regional director in PRO-3 as Police Brig. Gen. Jose S. Hidalgo Jr.

The PRO-3 covers the provinces of Tarlac and Pampanga where some operation of illegal Pogo hubs were discovered recently, particularly in the towns of Bamban and Porac, respectively.

However, Marbil clarified the investigation does not necessarily mean that the regional director is a “protector” of Pogo, instead, it was because of unreported killings in the Pogo hubs.

“Hindi naman ‘yung term namin eh protector pero kasi may semblance na mayroon talaga (Our term is not that he is a protector, but there’s a semblance that something is going on),” the PNP chief said.

He said the deaths that were not properly investigated in the Pogo hubs in Bamban and Porac were among the reasons why the entire 50-man police force in Bamban municipal police station as well as the provincial director of Pampanga and the chief of police in Porac were relieved.

“May mga killings doon na hindi naimbestigahan nang mabuti. Hindi kasi siya normal. Bakit may foreigners na namamatay? Dapat inimbestigahan nila (There were killings that were not properly investigated. It’s not normal. Why are there foreigners dying? There should have been an investigation about it),” Marbil noted.

“I don’t want to say protector. Ang hinahabol natin sa mga tao natin, bakit hindi naimbestigahan at naireport sa headquarters ‘yung mga ganitong pangyayari? (What we are after is, how come these incidents were not investigated and reported to the headquarters?)” he added.

The PRO-3 has yet to react on the matter.

Barred from leaving

Meanwhile, a manager of the raided Pogo hub in Porac, Pampanga was prevented from leaving the country due to alleged involvement in the illegal operation of Pogos, according to the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC).

PAOCC spokesperson Dr. Winston John Casio said the unnamed Pogo manager was barred from flying at an airport in Davao on Sunday, and considered as one of the persons of interest in the ongoing investigation by the commission.

"Kahapon, may nahuli kami dyan sa Davao na isang manager galing sa Porac. Napaoffload namin sa [Bureau of] Immigration, palabas siya ng bansa (Yesterday, we accosted a Pogo hub manager from Porac in Davao. The manager was offloaded by the Immigration while attempting to fly out of the country)," Casio said in a radio interview over dzBB.

"Inilipad na pa-Maynila (The manager was flown to Manila now)," he added. Casio did not determine what foreign country the manager is headed to.

Casio said the successive raids conducted by the PAOCC prompted the personalities behind the operation of illegal Pogo hubs to leave the country.

However, he assured that the PAOCC has been working with different government agencies to monitor all persons of interest.

"May nakaalert na sa mga pangalang binabantayan namin (There are [agencies] alerted when it comes to the names that we are monitoring)," Casio bared.

Related Tags

Rommel Marbil POGO Philippine National Police
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