Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Gen. Guillermo Lorenzo T. Eleazar gestures as he delivers his speech during his first Flag Raising and Assumption of Office as the 26th Chief of PNP in Camp Crame, Quezon City, on Monday, May 10, 2021. INQUIRER file photo / Niño Jesus Orbeta
MANILA, Philippines — Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Guillermo Eleazar on Thursday directed the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) and the anti-cybercrime group to look into a possible error in implicating an online businesswoman in the alleged sale of vaccines and inoculation slots.
In a statement late Thursday, Eleazar said, “I personally read the statements made by Ms. Nina Ellaine Dizon-Cabrera in social media and was made aware of her television interview wherein she aired her side regarding the issue of the sale of vaccination/vaccination slots.”
He said, “It is in this regard that I ordered both the directors of the PNP-CIDG and the PNP-ACG to review the cases that were filed against (Cabrera) before the Mandaluyong Prosecutor’s Office in order to check if there were lapses in the conduct of investigation and in the preparation of the cases.”
The PNP chief further said, “I assure Ms. Dizon-Cabera that I will personally monitor the progress of my order–and to correct if there are things that need correcting–in the interest of truth and justice regarding this ‘vaccine/vaccine slot for sale’ controversy.”
Cabrera, the owner of a beauty product online retail company, had complained why she was included in the complaint filed in the Mandaluyong City prosecutor’s office against alleged vaccine and inoculation slot sellers Cyle Cedric Bonifacio and Melvin Gutierrez.
She and the two other respondents were charged with estafa as well as violation of the Anti-Red Tape Law of 2007 and the Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012.
Cabrera maintained that she was a whistleblower of the scheme and had immediately reported the illegal activity to authorities.