The Philippine National Police (PNP) stressed that the administrative relief orders against its two high-ranking officials over allegations of extortion of foreign nationals arrested in a raided scam hub in Ermita, Manila earlier this week are “not a form of punishment.”

PNP spokesperson BGen. Jean Fajardo explained that the administrative relief of National Capital Region Police Officer (NCRPO) director MGen. Sidney Hernia and Anti-Criminal Group (ACG) chief MGen. Ronnie Francis Manuel Cariaga for 10 days, effective on 7 November.

“When a PNP personnel undergoes an investigation or there is a pending case against them, there are two options available to a commander. One: is putting those PNP personnel under investigation, under restrictive custody, or putting them under administrative relief,” Fajardo said.

“This is what happened to Major General Hernia and Major General Carriaga. They were administratively relieved for 10 days to give way to an investigation conducted by a committee created for this purpose,” she added.

The deputies of Hernia and Cariaga, PBGen. Reynaldo Tamondong and P/Col. Vina Guzman, will act as the temporary heads of their respective units in the PNP.