PNP not selling Arroyo mug shots, says Bartolome

MANILA, Philippines —The Philippine National Police has no plans of selling the mug shot photos of former president Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.

“Hindi namin ito ipinagbibili (We’re not selling it),” said PNP chief Director General Nicanor Bartolome  amid an offer from activist lawyer Argee Guevarra on Wednesday to buy the official mug shot photos for P50,000.

Bartolome said that he ordered police officers handling the photos to bring the mug shots to the Pasay Regional Trial Court Branch 112, which will try Arroyo on charges of electoral sabotage.

He said that he spoke with Senior Superintendent Joel Coronel, chief of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group in the National Capital Region, to bring the photos straight to the court.

Bartolome said that he has seen the mug shot but has since returned the copy to Coronel, adding ,  “Hindi dapat hawakan ng napakaraming tao.”

Asked whether it was right to keep the mug shot photos away from public eye even if they are public records, Bartolome answered that it would still be up to the court to decide.

Guevarra on Wednesday sent a letter to Bartolome, offering to buy the mug shot photos for P50,000.