Marbil: Probe ongoing vs 24 ex-PNP chiefs over Alice Guo escape from PH

The Philippine National Police (PNP) is investigating 24 of its former leaders over allegation that one of them helped dismissed Bamban, Tarlac Mayor Alice Guo escape from the Philippines in exchange for a huge sum.

"Wala pa po kaming report coming from [retired] General Raul Villanueva doon sa sinabi niya, but we are investigating 24 of our former chief PNP kung involved po sila," current PNP chief Police General Rommel Marbil told a Senate finance subcommittee hearing on PNP's proposed P205.8-billion budget for 2025.

(We haven't received a report from retired General Raul Villanueva yet regarding his statement, but we are investigating 24 of our former PNP chiefs to determine if they were involved.)

According to Marbil, the 24 refers to all living former PNP chiefs.

"For the meantime, (all the 24 ex-PNP chiefs) 'yun po ang iniimbestigahan natin but we have to ask General Villanueva to really mention the name kasi under oath po siya," Marbil said in a separate ambush interview.

(For the time being, we are investigating all 24 former PNP chiefs, but we need to ask General Villanueva to specifically mention the name, since he is under oath.)

"I spoke [with] SILG (Benhur Abalos). Nag-uusap po kami at sabi po ng SILG natin, we have to investigate not only the retired na chief PNP, but everybody that helped Alice Guo na makaalis po sa country natin," he added.

(I spoke with SILG (Benhur Abalos) and he said that we need to investigate not only the retired PNP chiefs, but everyone who helped Alice Guo escape from our country.)

'Monthly payroll'

During a Senate hearing on Tuesday, PAGCOR Senior Vice President Raul Villanueva, a retired general and former commander at the Intelligence Services Armed Forces of the Philippines (ISAFP), said there were intelligence reports being validated that a former PNP chief was involved in Guo's escape and is rumored to be part of her "monthly payroll."

Marbil took exception to the unverified information bared by Villanueva, saying it affects the PNP's image.

"We are not happy with what he said. Since he is under oath you have to tell us kasi (because) it affects the whole organization. And remember it’s not the whole organization na PNP alone. It’s peace and order ang naapekto doon sa sinabi niya (that was affected due to his statements)," Marbil said.

According to Marbil, they are drafting a letter addressed to Villanueva urging him to identify the person he was referring to during the Senate hearing.

"We are making a letter addressed to General Raul Villanueva to really name the [person], kung sino talaga or else you have to clarify sa Senado na wala naman talaga. Kasi what happened is he’s under oath and he [has] to tell us kung sino ang pangalan," he said.

(We are drafting a letter to be addressed to General Raul Villanueva, urging him to reveal the real name or else he needs to clarify in the Senate that there isn't one. The reason is that he is under oath and has to disclose the actual name.)

Should Villanueva fail to name the said ex-PNP chief, Marbil said the matter will be handled by the PNP Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG).

In an interview with Senator Ronald "Bato" dela Rosa, himself a former PNP chief, on Wednesday, he said other former PNP leaders are "very concerned" over the "very sweeping statement" that Villanueva made during the Senate investigation into illegal Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs).

Dela Rosa immediately cleared his name on the accusation against one ex-PNP chief and established during the hearing last Tuesday that he and Guo never met.

For his part, Interior Secretary Benhur Abalos Jr. said it is up to Marbil to answer allegations that one of his predecessors helped Guo escape from the Philippines. 

"Hindi ko alam 'yang about the chief PNP (I don't know that issue about the chief PNP), let the PNP chief answer this one about this issue," Abalos said in an ambush interview at the Senate on Thursday.

"I think they are doing something about this," he added.

Guo, who is being linked to an illegal POGO hub discovered in Bamban, has since been arrested in Indonesia and brought back to the Philippines to face the charges against her, including human trafficking and money laundering. —KBK/RSJ, GMA Integrated News