Manila: The administrative relief of National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) chief Maj. Gen. Sidney Hernia and Philippine National Police-Anti Cybercrime Group (PNP-ACG) chief Maj. Gen. Ronnie Francis Cariaga, in relation to the recent raid of an alleged scam hub in Manila, has been extended. PNP spokesperson Brig. Gen. Jean Fajardo announced in a press briefing at Camp Crame, Quezon City, that their relief will continue until November 22, five days after the initial 10-day order was supposed to end on November 17.
According to Philippines News Agency, the only reason for their relief is due to their positions as the highest commanders of the units involved, specifically PNP-ACG and NCRPO. The PNP leadership decided to place them under administrative relief as the investigation is still ongoing. The committee overseeing the investigation is led by Lt. Gen. Michael John Dubria, deputy chief for operations, with Brig. Gen. Reynaldo Tamondong and Col. Vina Guzman remaining as officers in charge of the NCR
PO and ACG, respectively.
Fajardo noted some issues were raised over the October 29 operation conducted by the NCRPO and ACG at the Century Peak Tower. Allegations of extortion and reported tampering of security cameras by PNP officers are under scrutiny. Reports indicated that three PNP-ACG agents moved and covered a closed-circuit television camera to avoid being seen while shirtless due to the extreme heat inside the building. The building’s elevator and air conditioning systems were intentionally turned off, forcing the raiding team to walk up to the 23rd floor, where the alleged Philippine offshore gaming operator (POGO) hub is located.
The administrative relief is intended to facilitate the investigation and resolve the issues. Fajardo mentioned that initial findings might be available by Friday, but the complete results of the investigation are awaited. The forensic examination of the seized gadgets and other IT-related items is also in progress. Investigators reportedly found evidence of alleged sca
mming activities, including cryptocurrencies, which are central to the cyber warrants against the company, particularly Vertex Technologies on the 23rd floor of Century Peak Tower. It is accused of engaging in love and cryptocurrency scams, violating the securities regulation code.
In a related development, Fajardo reported that police seized P112.5 million in cash and foreign passports in the safety vaults of Central One Bataan, a business process outsourcing company (BPO) raided on October 31. Officers opened 12 safety vaults at Central One’s offices in Bagac, Bataan under a new search warrant, seizing foreign passports, security tokens, vouchers, and assorted documents. The PNP did not provide details on the nationalities of the foreign passports or the foreign currencies found.
Central One legal counsel Cherry Anne dela Cruz stated that the money in the vaults was for salaries and dismissed the PNP’s remarks as ‘baseless speculations.’ She emphasized that money and expired passports are not illegal. Faj
ardo suggested it is better for the company to “face the allegations in court, instead of the court of public opinion.” Authorities indicated that the facility also ran love scams, cyberscams, and online gambling operations, with a functioning dormitory and six buildings housing separate sub-operations.
