Senator Bato Dela Rosa defends PNP amidst allegations against ex-mayor Alice Guo's escape

In an exclusive interview with Daily Tribune, Senator Bato Dela Rosa, former Chief of the Philippine National Police (PNP), addressed the controversy surrounding allegations that a former PNP chief aided in the escape of dismissed Bamban Mayor Alice Guo. Alice Guo, whose full name is Guo Hua Ping, was the mayor of Bamban, Tarlac, and was dismissed. Her escape from law enforcement has been the subject of rumors and accusations, but Dela Rosa was quick to clarify recent developments.

The issue initially arose when Retired General Raul Villanueva, Senior Vice President of the Security and Monitoring Cluster at PAGCOR (Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation), made an allegation during a hearing that implicated a former PNP chief in Guo’s escape. However, Villanueva later retracted his statement, saying that it was merely based on hearsay.

During the Senate hearing on Tuesday, Villanueva emphasized that his previous claim lacked concrete confirmation. He repeatedly stated that he could not verify the information, which led to his decision to retract the exposé.

Dela Rosa, speaking on Wednesday night, highlighted that with Villanueva’s retraction, there will be no further investigations into the matter. “Immaterial na 'yan dahil may statement na yung director ng CIDG, na si Gen. Francisco, that nothing is going to be investigated because rinetract man ng source of the information, na si Gen. Villanueva yung kaniyang sinabi,” Dela Rosa explained, referring to the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group’s (CIDG) decision to halt the probe into former PNP chiefs regarding their alleged involvement in Alice Guo’s escape.

In the same interview, Dela Rosa was asked about current PNP Chief General Benjamin Acorda and his involvement with Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGO) issues. Dela Rosa immediately vouched for Acorda’s integrity, stating that he has known him long before Acorda took on the role of PNP chief.

“Kahit di pa 'yan naging Chief PNP si General Acorda, kilala ko na 'yan na matinong opisyal,” Dela Rosa said. “At lalo na kung ang allegation ay nung siya ay Chief PNP na, ako nag-Chief PNP din ako, kapag ikaw ay naging Chief PNP na, yung mga ganyan na pera na galing sa bribery, sa mga illegal, ay talagang mag-iingat ka, you won’t even put your fingers in that.”

Dela Rosa stressed that as Chief PNP, one’s legacy is at stake, and no leader would want to be remembered for involvement in illegal activities or bribery. “As far as I know, matinong tao si General Acorda,” he added.

However, Dela Rosa acknowledged that Acorda would have the chance to address the Senate directly in an upcoming hearing. “He will have his day in the Senate to explain his side,” Dela Rosa said.

Concluding the interview, Dela Rosa reassured the public that despite these controversies, the PNP remains committed to justice and integrity. “The PNP is not a perfect organization, meron dyan nagkakamali... Hindi perpekto ang PNP, pero as far as the latest issues are concerned, nothing to worry about.”