Azurin wants sex complaints ‘little bits’

Philippine National Police chief P/Gen. Rodolfo Azurin Jr. on Monday said he'll talk with the PNP Internal Affairs Service head, Inspector General Alfegar Triambulo, over the complaint filed against him before the Office of the Ombudsman.

Triambulo is facing a complaint for sexual harassment filed by IAS employee Genevieve Lipana represented by her lawyer Ariel Radovan. The case was filed before the Ombudsman on 5 September.

Azurin said that while Triambulo's case is now with the Ombudsman, he would nonetheless still want to "know a little bit about the event that led to the filing of the case."

The PNP chief said there may be no need to conduct a probe on Triambulo separate from what the Ombudsman may conduct as he "respects" its authority.

"I think it's the Office of the President, as the appointing authority, that should decide because the case is already filed at the Ombudsman," Azurin said on whether Triambulo should be suspended while under investigation.

Triambulo dismissed the complaint as part of an alleged demolition job against him.

"She wants her boss to lead IAS," he said referring to the complainant whom he accused of peddling her complaint before the office of the PNP chief and now to the Ombudsman.