Military lists possible lapses of police on reported involvement of officer to Abu
Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Chief of Staff General Eduardo Ano mentioned possible lapses of Philippine National Police (PNP) on the reported involvement of an officer to a member of the Abu Sayyaf in Bohol.
Ano said there is no need to conduct loyalty check among security forces as there is an existing system to check the background of personnel in sensitive units or position.
“There is an on-going system, the background investigation. If you were assigned in sensitive positions and units you have to undergo partial background investigation and full background investigation depending on the positions you are holding,” he said.
“Maybe the PNP has lapses on that, but there is an existing system so we don’t have to do loyalty check,” he added.
Superintendent Maria Christina Nobleza was arrested in Bohol over the weekend after she was caught with her boyfriend, an alleged member of Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG).
Nobleza and Reneirlo Dungon were transferred to the PNP headquarters in Camp Crame on Tuesday morning.
The two arrived at Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) terminal 3 through a Cebu Pacific flight around 9 am.
PNP Director General Ronald Dela Rosa said the two were brought to Camp Crame to get more details from them.
“I don’t have update on the tactical interrogation in Bohol but for sure when they arrive here they will also undergo tactical interrogation in Crame,” he said.
Ano said the Abu Sayyaf members who entered Inabanga town in Bohol have contacts in the community who are “Balik Islam”, individuals who converted to Muslim like Nobleza.
He said like Nobleza the armed forces have troops who are Muslim converts.
“There’s nothing bad on being a “Balik Islam or Muslim convert. that okay we have freedom of religion but it’s only those who are associated with Maute, they are those who were radicalized, they are the one that we are monitoring, even in the AFP we have Balik Islam here, and they are okay, they don’t have problem, now if they were connected or lined with Maute and ASG then the problem begins,” he said. Robina Asido/DMS
