Napolcom to seek side of Guo, Tarlac governor, solon over Pogo issue
MANILA, Philippines — The National Police Commission (Napolcom) will hear the side of Bamban, Tarlac Mayor Alice Guo, and two others on Thursday before it decides whether or not to revoke her deputization power over the town’s police force after the mayor was linked to alleged irregularities surrounding Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (Pogo) operations.
Napolcom Commissioner Ricardo Bernabe III told INQUIRER.net that this is part of the ongoing process of the withdrawal of Guo’s deputization upon the instruction of Interior and Local Government Secretary Benjamin Abalos Jr.
“The letter request, together with the report, will be sent to the Mayor tomorrow,” Bernabe said in a Viber message on Wednesday afternoon.
Aside from seeking Guo’s comments, Bernabe said they would also get the comments of the Tarlac governor and the province’s 1st district representative.
Upon receipt of the letter, the Napolcom official said the three will be given three days to respond.
“Pag natapos na lahat ng validation then tsaka mag-de-decide kung magwi-withdraw mag-su-supend yung deputization,” Bernabe said in an earlier phone call.
(After the validation process, we will decide whether to withdraw or suspend her deputization.)
Under the Napolcom Memorandum Circular (MC) No. 99-010, elected governors and mayors “are automatically deputized as representatives of the Commission” in their respective areas.
As Napolcom deputies, the MC stated that mayors are given the power to supervise and control police units in cities or provinces they handle and directly employ and deploy units or PNP elements, among others.
On May 20, Abalos said he ordered Napolcom to withdraw Guo’s deputization pending an ongoing investigation into her alleged connection to a Philippine Offshore Gaming Operator (Pogo) in the province.
Last May 18, the Department of the Interior and Local Government chief announced that they recommended the preventive suspension of the mayor before the Office of the Ombudsman.
He explained that this is to “prevent any influence on the continuing investigations of our and other agencies.”
Abalos said the seven-man DILG task force created to investigate Guo’s reported ties to Pogo has already submitted its report, which contains “troubling findings of serious illegal acts which may have severe legal implications.”
