MANILA, Philippines — Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla has called for an explanation from Bureau of Immigration (BI) and National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) agents who took photos with dismissed Bamban Mayor Alice Guo.
In a press briefing on Friday, Department of Justice Assistant Secretary and spokesperson Mico Clavano IV said Remulla “instructed certain officials to give a show cause order to those that are involved in these pictures for them to be given a chance to explain.”
“But the explanations will be taken into consideration; due process will be given to them,” he said, adding Remulla is “quite frustrated” that the public attention was drifted on this issue.
This issue arose after photos of Guo smiling with BI and NBI agents while being escorted to the airport for her return to the Philippines sparked backlash from netizens.
Clavano said the agents “were simply expressing or celebrating the small win,” but noted that it was also not an excuse for them to post the photos.
“Kaya siguro paalala lang din po sa ating mga (That’s why perhaps this is just a reminder to) law enforcement agencies that there is still much to do in this case, in an investigation, in the cases that are being charged of Alice Guo,” he said.
“So perhaps it was inappropriate to post those pictures, but it was a moment that was, I guess, that we could be proud of. But again, the job is not yet done,” Clavano added.
Meanwhile, in a chance interview with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. earlier the day, he said that taking photos with Guo is only part of the “new culture,” especially as the Philippines had been tagged as the “Selfie Capital of the World.”
“I think that is part of the new culture now na nagpapakuha lagi ng kahit ano kasi ipo-post nila—’tingnan mo, oh, kasama ako sa team na umaresto sa ganyan, ganyan,” he told Palace reporters in Antipolo, Rizal.
(I think that is part of the new culture now that people are always taking pictures of anything because they will post it — like, look, I was on the team that arrested such and such.)