Brig. Gen. Romeo Caramat Jr., chief of the CIDG. (Photo from a video posted on the PNP-CIDG Facebook page)
MANILA, Philippines — A bankrupt paper mill filed administrative charges and sought the suspension of newly appointed Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) director Brig. Gen. Romeo Caramat Jr. for neglect of duty when he was Caraga regional police chief.
In its complaint filed with the National Police Commission, Picop Resources Inc. (PRI) — the successor of the Paper Industries Corp. of the Philippines (PICOP) — questioned Caramat’s appointment to a higher office despite “serious irregularities and grave neglect in the performance of duty.”
The Inquirer repeatedly tried to contact Caramat about the administrative complaint. He had not replied at press time.
The complaint stemmed from an incident last year when PICOP sought help from the Bislig City police, under Caramat’s supervision, to prevent unionists from barging into its Bislig plant compound.
The company said it notified the police that the Makati City Regional Trial Court (RTC) issued a stay order prohibiting the union from implementing a writ of execution against the plant.
The paper mill, once the biggest in the country, is under receivership supervised by the Makati RTC which is tasked to preserve the assets of the bankrupt company to settle all its obligations, including its union.
“[The union members] maliciously destroyed PICOP’s forklift and also attempted to steal items inside,” the complaint read.
“They forcibly opened PICOP gate shutters by using acetylene cutter[s] and other materials such as round timber, lumber, and iron rod,” it added.
The former regional police chief’s nonaction, however, enabled the continued activities of the union which resulted in damage worth P120 million.
“As a result, Bislig City’s claim of P120 million in the rehabilitation case was jeopardized because he did not prevent the crimes. This is tantamount to plunder due to an illegal or fraudulent conveyance or disposition of assets,” the company said.
“As law enforcers, Caramat [was] duty bound to ensure that the Stay Order [be] respected, and that peace and order is maintained,” said the PRI.
“Because of the high position of Caramat, there is a potential that he may unduly influence witnesses. Hence, he must be placed under preventive suspension because of the gravity of the charges and to prevent him from potentially harassing witnesses,” it added. Once the largest paper mill in the country, the paper mill slipped into financial troubles during the 1984 economic crisis and was unable to recover.
However, it had properties, financed by banks, that were used as tree farms and those properties are now included in the rehabilitation case.