Philippine National Police
MANILA, Philippines — Members of the Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) team allegedly providing security service at a private event in Pasig City were relieved from their posts amid the investigation, according to the Eastern Police District (EPD).
In a phone patch interview on Thursday, EPD director Brig. Gen. Wilson Asueta said four SWAT personnel were relieved as part of its standard operating procedure (SOP).
READ: DILG orders PNP to probe SWAT team deployment in a private event
They were relieved after Interior Secretary Benjamin Abalos Jr. ordered the Philippine National Police (PNP) to look into the information he received.
“Pictures of the members of the said [SWAT] team sent to my office showed they were in their respective uniforms, with some carrying their firearms,” Abalos said on Wednesday.
In a separate statement released on Thursday, the EPD said the SWAT team was just patrolling along San Miguel Avenue in Barangay San Antonio as part of their daily routine “to prevent and control crimes.”
The EPD explained that the four SWAT personnel stopped in front of a bank, where a woman approached them from the event and invited them in. The team reportedly obliged the woman’s request to take a picture with them but refused to stay long.
“After the said picture taking, they were invited to go up to the event area on the 24th floor to have some snacks, but the team refused because they needed to continue to conduct mobile patrol. The team provided their contact number in case of a need for police assistance/emergency,” the EPD said.
“The SWAT usually shows force visibility. So they were there and then someone asked them: Sir, can I take a picture? We have a soft opening here. So they went in,” Asueta said in Filipino.
“There is nothing wrong with that, but their picture was uploaded by the company on Facebook without their knowledge. Other people saw the picture and misinterpreted it,” he added.
In their statement, the EPD said the “Pasig City SWAT did not provide escort service to that event.”
To prevent similar incidents, the PNP said earlier that it plans to form a special team dedicated to preventing unauthorized use of marked vehicles and tracking down its personnel engaging in moonlighting activities.
The team would consist of officials from the Department of Transportation, the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority and its Highway Patrol Group, and the Integrity Monitoring and Enforcement Group.