Seven police officers were sacked from their posts and are under investigation for alleged involvement in a rental kickback scheme targeting Philippine National Police trainees.
The PNP officials, assigned with the Cordillera Administrative Region Training Center (CARTC), were placed on floating status by training service director Brig. Gen. Rolindo Suguilon.
Suguilon did not identify the officers, but said they were composed of a colonel, major, lieutenant, master sergeant and three patrolmen.
‘Our investigators are still on the ground to verify if the allegations are true,’ Suguilon said in Filipino during a briefing at Camp Crame yesterday.
He noted that the investigation stemmed from a post on social media alleging the existence of a barracks rental kickback during the six-month field training program immersion phase of police trainees.
Rape complaint
Meanwhile, the PNP launched an investigation into a CARTC training instructor accused of sexually assaulting a female trainee in Baguio City.
PNP chief Gen. Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr. said the 41-year-old instructor has been placed under restrictive custody, disarmed and transferred to Laguna as the criminal and administrative investigations continue.
‘We take this allegation with utmost seriousness,’ Nartatez said.
The 23-year-old trainee alleged she was sexually assaulted on Jan. 20 and Feb. 8 when she was summoned to the instructor’s barracks.
Nartatez said the case would be handled with urgency and transparency