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 Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGO) hub in Ermita, Manila last week are “not a form of punishment.”

At a press conference at Camp Crame on Thursday, 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, effective 7 November for 10 days, was enacted to facilitate an impartial investigation.

“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 PCol. Vina Guzman, will serve as temporary heads of their respective units in the PNP. 

To recall, the NCRPO and ACG conducted joint operations at an alleged scam hub inside the Century Peak Tower in Manila, on 29 October.

“However, during the conduct of the operation, there were some issues raised by the subject of the cyber warrant, and this is precisely the reason—in the interest of transparency—that the PNP leadership was entitled to administratively relieve the RD (regional director) of NCRPO and Director of ACG to give way to an investigation,” Fajardo said. 

Acting Deputy Chief PNP for Operation LtGen. Michael John Dubria will lead the investigation, particularly focusing on the alleged tampering of a closed-circuit television (CCTV) camera within the building during a post-raid investigation on 31 October. 

“Let me reiterate, though, that this administrative relief of the two senior officers is not a form of punishment, and this is clear from the existing policies of the PNP,” Fajardo said.

“We are just doing this administrative relief to give way to an investigation to clarify the issues that cropped up during the police operation,” she added. 

Fajardo also stressed that the PNP stands firm that “there’s nothing wrong” with recent police operations, which were conducted under a Cyber Warrant duly issued by the Manila Regional Trial Court.

“The police operation was conducted under the premise of an implementation of a Cyber Warrant duly issued by RTC (Regional Trial Court) Manila,” she noted. 

Fajardo said Cariaga informed her that three officers moved and covered the CCTV in a hallway to prevent them from being seen while walking shirtless due to the extreme heat inside the building.

The building's elevator and air conditioning systems, she said, were intentionally turned off, forcing the raiding team to walk all the way to the 23rd floor, where the purported POGO hub is located.

“Immediately after the service of the warrant—the following day—the electricity was turned off, the air conditioner was turned off, and the elevator was turned off,” she said.

"If you noticed in one of the videos, there was a naked police officer there—it was that hot because the whole 23rd floor was in a closed area and there was no ventilation coming out, particularly in the hallway. That is the reason why the police are saying that they moved the focus of the CCTV camera,” she added.