GENERAL SANTOS CITY -- The Philippine National Police (PNP) has relieved two top police officials in Region 12 (Soccksargen) on Monday pending investigation into the nearly P2-billion illegal investment scheme that victimized police personnel and residents in the region.
Col. Manuel Lukban, chief of the directorial staff of the Police Regional Office (PRO)-12; and Col. Raul Supiter, the police director here, were ordered transferred effective Monday (March 25) to the police holding and accounting unit of the Directorate for Personnel and Records Management (DPRM).
Lukban and Supiter's specific involvement was not immediately clear, but both officials have repeatedly denied any role in the illegal investment scheme.
PPM, which started last year and started to collapse last January, reportedly originated in this city and even operated for some time at the city police headquarters in Camp Fermin Lira.
The special relief order against the two officials was issued by PNP chief, Gen. Oscar Albayalde through the directorial staff chief--Lt. Gen. Camilo Cascolan--and the DPRM chief, Maj. Gen. Lyndon Cubos.
Brig. Gen. Eliseo Tam Rasco, PRO-12 regional director, said the PNP hierarchy has ordered a comprehensive investigation regarding the Ponzi-like investment scheme, which was dubbed Pulis Paluwagan Movement (PPM).
Rasco said the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) has been directed to lead the investigation and file the necessary charges against the masterminds.
Rasco said the investigation will focus on the administrative and criminal liability of all involved police officers under the PRO-12.
“Whatever is the outcome, I assure you that there will be consequences,” the PRO-12 chief said during Monday's flag-raising ceremony here.
Rasco said most of the victims were policemen, who were lured by the scheme's high interests of up to 120 percent a month.
“The sad thing is that, our fellow policemen were not only victims. There are some within our ranks who actually started it,” Rasco said.
Rasco said that aside from the CIDG, the Regional Investigation and Detective Management (RIDM) division of PRO-12 will also conduct a separate inquiry starting this week.
He urged policemen and civilians who were victimized by PPM to surface and file the necessary complaints. He said RIDM’s “open and discreet” investigation will complement with the CIDG’s probe.
“For the administrative aspect, the least penalty will be dismissal from service. The criminal side could result to the filing of syndicated or large-scale estafa, which is non-bailable,” he added. (PNA)
