MANILA, Philippines – Police Major General Sidney Hernia was relieved from his post as the chief of the National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO), following the controversial raid of an alleged Philippine offshore gaming operator (POGO) hub in Malate, Manila.
The Philippine National Police (PNP) headquarters signed the order on November 6, and takes effect on Thursday, November 7. Interior Secretary Juanito Victor “Jonvic” Remulla confirmed Hernia’s relief to Rappler. He also confirmed the appointment of Police Brigadier General Reynaldo Tamondong as acting NCRPO chief, in the absence of Hernia.
“He is under administrative investigation for his handling of the Malate raid,” Remulla told Rappler.
This relief follows a messy operation led by the NCRPO on October 29, where a hub in Century Peak Tower was raided on the power of search warrants. The company owners condemned the raid and filed complaints against NCRPO officials and personnel, said National Police Commission (Napolcom) vice chairperson and executive officer Alberto Bernardo.
The PNP also relieved three Anti-Cybercrime Group (ACG) personnel after they were shown turning the CCTV away from them, while they walked in the facility partially unclothed.
During a press briefing on Thursday, PNP spokesperson Police Brigadier General Jean Fajardo said PNP ACG Police Major General Ronnie Francis Cariaga was also temporarily relieved from his post.
The Malate operation also triggered a tiff between NCRPO and the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC), as initial reports from the raid attributed the operation to PAOCC which the agency strongly denied. “Please do not associate PAOCC with flawed operations,” said Winston Casio, before he himself was suspended by PAOCC after a video of him surfaced slapping a worker during their raid in Bataan on October 31.
Casio has apologized for the incident, and explained that he and PAOCC personnel were provoked by the worker who alleged insulted them and flashed them the dirty finger.
Hernia as PNP ACG chief in Las Piñas POGO mess
Before he was NCRPO chief, Hernia was the chief of the PNP ACG which also figured in another controversial POGO raid in Las Piñas on June 27, 2023. The Department of Justice (DOJ) had also questioned the irregularities in this raid last year.
The raided alleged POGO hub is located in the Hongtai compound in Las Piñas, where foreigners were eventually detained.
Immediately after, in July 2023, four foreigners won their habeas corpus case in the Court of Appeals (CA), where the appellate court ordered the PNP to release them from custody.
“There are patent irregularities which impair the legitimacy (under RA 11862, anti-human trafficking act) of the Law Enforcement Operation on June 27, 2023,” said the CA 10th Division.
The CA took note that foreigners were detained at the Hong Tai compound instead of a proper custodial facility for foreigners being deported, such as the DOJ.
On April 19, 2024, a court in Las Piñas granted the petitions of the foreign owners of the facilities to recover hundreds of millions of pesos worth of money seized during the raid. The order also mentioned that the DOJ has dismissed the criminal complaints against the foreigners.
The seized money, which the court ordered returned, includes P117 million, US$12,000 (or P704,000), and other currencies.
“To this date, however, it appears that there is no criminal case yet filed in Court against any of the respondents. All the foregoing considered, this Court thus, has no other judicious recourse but to grant the instant motion for the release of seized items,” said the court order dated April 19, 2024. – Rappler.com