PNP: No order yet to probe Puno over ‘raid try’ on Robredo condo unit

The Late Interior Secretary Jesse M. Robredo. INQUIRER file photo

MANILA, Philippines—The Philippine National Police has yet to receive an order to investigate Interior Undersecretary Rico Puno’s alleged attempt to break into the condominium unit and offices of the late Interior Secretary Jesse Robredo a day after his plane crashed off Masbate, a police official said Friday.

PNP spokesperson Chief Superintendent Generoso Cerbo Jr. said the police have yet to conduct an investigation into the matter as they had not received any order to do so from higher-ups.

“There’s no investigation since there is no formal order saying that we should investigate it,” Cerbo said.

“We have only read about it in the newspapers. If there’s going to be an order, then we won’t have a problem investigating it,” he added.

Puno, reportedly accompanied by PNP Senior Superintendent Joel Pagdilao and two others allegedly, tried to get into Robredo’s condo unit in Quezon City and his offices at the Department of Interior and Local Government, and the National Police Commission on August 19, a day after the light plane carrying Robredo from Cebu City to his hometown of Naga City crashed in the waters off Masbate.

The death of Robredo was confirmed when his body was recovered from the sunken fuselage by technical divers on August 21, three days after the crash. The bodies of pilot Captain Jessup Bahinting and Nepalese student pilot Kshitiz Chand were retrieved from the wreckage on August 22 and offshore by passing fishermen on August 23, respectively. Robredo’s police security aide, Jun Abrasado, was the lone survivor.

Pagdilao is the deputy director for operations of the Quezon City Police District.

Puno on Friday did not answer calls and text messages by the Philippine Daily Inquirer to his cell phone seeking his side on the controversy. He was not in his office at the DILG as of early Friday afternoon. He was last seen reporting for work on Wednesday.

New DILG spokesman Ariel Tanangonan also did not answer calls and text messages.