Bato: Some ex-PNP chiefs concerned over claim of aid to Alice Guo

Senator Ronald "Bato" dela Rosa on Wednesday divulged that his fellow retired chiefs of the Philippine National Police (PNP) are concerned over the allegation that one of them was allegedly bribed to help dismissed Bamban, Tarlac Mayor Alice Guo escape the country.

Dela Rosa disclosed this at a press conference a day after 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."

"Meron kaming group chat mga former chief PNP. At yung iba doon ay concerned na concerned bakit ganon...concerned lang sila because alam naman nila hindi sila yung involved pero nadadamay ang kanilang personality because former PNP chiefs," Dela Rosa said.

(We have a group chat with former PNP chiefs. Some of them are really concerned, wondering why it's like that... they're only concerned because they know they're not involved, but their personal reputation is being dragged into it simply because they're former PNP chiefs.)

According to Dela Rosa, his fellow ex-PNP chiefs wanted Villanueva to clarify the information because this "very sweeping statement" would affect even the former heads of the national police force whom he said are "relaxing and living peacefully."

"'Yun naman ang gusto nila. Klaruhin kung sino yung involved, hindi ‘yung hindi pa validated ang impormasyon, hindi pa confirmed ay nagpalabas kaagad," he said.

(That's what they want. Clarify who's involved and don't rush to release information that hasn't been validated or confirmed yet.)

"So what if hindi ma-validate ‘yan? Sira ang pangalang former chief PNP. Diba? Sira na. E lahat kami eh, galing doon sa pinaka latest na chief PNP na nag-retire up to the oldest living chief PNP which is General Renato S. de Villa... Lahat kami apektado 'yung term na former chief PNP," he added.

(What if we can't validate the information? The term "former chief PNP" will be ruined. Right? It will be ruined. All of us, from the latest retired chief PNP to the oldest living chief PNP, General Renato S. de Villa... we're all affected by the term "former chief PNP.")

De Villa was the chief of the Philippine Constabulary and director general of the Integrated National Police in 1986. The PC-INP was the precursor of the PNP, which came to be in 1991.

For Dela Rosa, Villanueva should have not divulged the information yet if it is not validated.

"He is part of the government. Sabi-sabi ka ng ganun tapos wala pala yan. Hindi mo na lang sana sinabi," he said.

(You'll release information that might turn out to be false. He should have not said that.)

"You cannot pin down anybody through intelligence reports because intelligence reports have no evidentiary value and it will not stand in court. So dapat bago nila nilabas yun, kinonfirm muna, vinalidate nang husto at once validated, dapat alam niya kung sino talaga yung nagsabi yung pangalan. Hindi yung sabihin lang na parang former chief PNP," he went on.

(They should have validated the information before releasing it, they should have the name, and not just make a sweeping statement.)

This prompted him to question Villanueva's background in the Armed Forces of the Philippines Intelligence Service.

"Para tuloy kasama sa marites, marites lang yan... Ganun na pala ang produkto ng ISAFP magri-release ng impormasyon na hindi validated," he quipped.

(It's just like a gossip. Is that how ISAFP does it, releasing information that's not validated.)

Dela Rosa said he will follow up on Villanueva's claims in the next Senate hearing.

"Next hearing... sisingilin ko siya dyan. Next hearing. Sisingilin ko siya about that statement of his," he said.

(Next hearing, I will ask him about that statement.)

Apart from its effect on the former PNP chiefs, Dela Rosa said this would also affect the morale of the police force.

While he made the statement, Dela Rosa is not discounting the possibility of POGO personalities bribing police officers, considering the amount of money involved in its operations.

"Posibleng mangyari dahil nga daming pera ng POGO di ba. Posibleng mangyari. Anything can happen. If they can bribe people then they can do it," he said.

(That is possible because there is a huge amount of money involved in POGOs.) —LDF, GMA Integrated News