Solons rebuked CIDG chief for prematurely naming police officers in

missing firearms probe

Members of the House committee on public order and safety rebuked Criminal
Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) Director Benamin Magalong for prematurely
naming senior police officers !hom he plans to file charges in connection !ith the
missing "#$$% firearms# !hich the la!makers said could be a deliberate attempt to
preempt the ongoing House in&uiry and sho!ed his unfairness to the identified police
officers'
During the second hearing (ednesday of the committee chaired by )ep' *effery
+errer (%
th
District# ,egros -ccidental)# )ep' G!endolyn Garcia (.
rd
District# Cebu) said
Magalong/s premature identification of the senior 0,0 officers seemed a deliberate
attempt either to lead the committee to!ards the conclusions of the CIDG/s o!n
investigation or to hide the truth on other matters concerning the firearms issue'
12here seems to be a deliberate attempt either to lead this committee to!ards the
conclusions !hich Director Magalong/s o!n investigation !ishes to impose upon us or
to hide other facets of an incomplete truth#3 said Garcia'
Garcia further said the House committee is trying its best to get to the bottom of
things to find the truth in manner that is most obective# apolitical and totally !ithout
agenda but that the panel is being preempted by the CIDG chief/s pronouncement in the
media last !eek about the case filing against certain police officers'
1I find the situation rather mysterious if not suspicious' I find it even unacceptable
that this committee that is trying its best to get to the bottom of things to find the truth in a
manner that is most obective# apolitical and totally !ithout agenda should be preempted
by an investigation !hich up to no! I cannot fathom !hether it is ongoing# terminated or
suddenly# ine4plicably concluded#3 said Garcia'
5he asked ho! else can the committee obectively get the side of the 0,0 officers
!hen Magalong had already named them in the media'
1Ho! else can !e still obectively &uestion them !hen !e try to get to the bottom
of this !hole fiasco !hen the CIDG/s o!n investigation has pinpointed them to be the
personalities culpable and responsible and must ans!er criminally and administratively6#3
said Garcia'
Garcia further asked 1(hat is the use of this committee hearing6 (here lies the
dignity of the House here6 (e have been preempted right after the hearing# less than 7%
NR # 3495C
JUNE 12, 2014
hours later by a pronouncement of a conclusion to the CIDG investigation'3
In a press conference last *une 8# Magalong named certain 0,0 officers as among
"9 0,0 officers and personnel# !ho !ill be charged by the CIDG' He said cases !ill also
be filed against private individuals including Isidro :o;ada# o!ner of Caraga 5ecurity
<gency !hich bought the "#$$% <= %> assault rifles from 2!in 0ines and resold these
allegedly to the ,e! 0eople/s <rmy'
Garcia asked Magalong !hy he identified the 0,0 officers last 2hursday !hen ust
less than 7% hours earlier at the House hearing he assured the la!makers that the CIDG
probe has not yet concluded'
1(e have not pointed fingers yet because !e !ere assured that the CIDG
investigation is still ongoing' <nd yet# to my surprise# less than 7% hours later after our
hearing# It came out in the tri?media?? ne!spapers# radio and 2@?? that there !ill be five
generals !ho !ill be charged as regards to the disappearance of "#$$% <= %>s' (here
does that lead this committee and this hearing6 It ties our hands' It !ould seem that !e
have been preempted because already# culpability has been pointed on specific individuals
<s accurate as my mind can recall# !hat I have encountered in the last hearing !as an
airing of facts# a &uestioning of facts' But at that point# !e have not pointed fingers at any
one yet' It seems this committee is being preempted from reaching its o!n conclusions#3
said Garcia'
+errer said he shared Garcia/s observation' 1Aven me# I !as surprised because the
ne!s stated there is already a case against those generals' Tumawag sa akin ung mga
media, sabi ko wala pa naman. So yung pagkaintindi ng taumbayan na meron ng kaso, ito
yung mga generals at mga police officers natin#3 said +errer# !ho asked Magalong to
correct such inaccuracy'
)ep' 5amuel 0agdilao (0arty?list CI5)# a committee vice chairman# said Magalong
should e4ercise prudence on the matter of handling and the discussing the CIDG
investigation in media prior to filing a case'
0agdilao said Magalong should ensure first that a case is filed and accepted by the
fiscal/s office or -mbudsman because it means it has probable cause rather than
prematurely discussing it in media before it is filed and accepted'
15o prudence tells it is better to face the media if the case has already been filed and
accepted at the -mbudsman or fiscal/s office' 2hen therefore# you have an assurance the
case you filed has a basis# it has a probable cause because it !as accepted' Meron kang
assurance that the case you have filed may basis, may probable cause kasi tinanggap ng
fiscal rather than facing the media na di mo pa na-file yung kaso#3 said 0agdilao# a la!yer
and former CIDG director'
0agdilao said prematurely discussing in media as to !ho !ill be charged in the
firearms case is not only an unfair practice but a !rong legal strategy' 1,ot only that you
are being unfair to certain people but you also stand the risk of being embarrassed once
you filed a case and it is not accepted by the fiscal or -mbudsman' 2hat means you/re
back to s&uare one as far as your investigation is concerned#3 said 0agdilao'
Bpon further &uestioning by the la!maker# Magalong admitted that !hen he faced
the media last !eek# there !as some sort of a premature activity on his part !hen he
identified certain police officers !hile the CIDG is not yet finished'
1I take full responsibility for that mistake#3 Magalong said'
Magalong said he !as invited by the 0,0 0ublic Information -ffice (0I-) to attend
last !eek/s press conference in !hich the media asked him about updates on the CIDG
guns probe'
)ep' )omeo <cop (7
nd
District# <ntipolo City)# !ho along !ith 0agdilao and )ep'
:eopoldo Bataoil (7
nd
District# 0angasinan) authored House )esolution >>7 seeking an
in&uiry into the missing firearms issue# suggested that the panel invite 0,0 0I- Chief
5upt' 2heodore 5indac to its ne4t hearing to ans!er further &ueries on the premature
statement of Magalong about cases to be filed in relation to the firearms issue' (.$)' mrs