After near shootout with PASG: NBI orders Cebu agents to explain

CEBU - The central office of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) wants its office in Central Visayas to explain what happened the other night in Mandaue City when its agents nearly exchanged fire with those from another government agency.

NBI-7 agents figured in a standoff with operatives of the Presidential Anti-Smuggling Group (PASG) Monday night over the custody of container van in the Mandaue Reclamation Area.

The show cause order was signed by NBI Deputy Director for Regional Operations Services Reynaldo Esmeralda, who claimed in an interview over radio station dyLA that the operation was not sanctioned by his office.

Esmeralda gave regional director Medardo De Lemos 24 hours to explain the alleged “unauthorized” operation.

De Lemos on the other hand defended their operation saying that it was legitimate since they have a mission order from Undersecretary Antonio Villar who heads the Presidential Anti-Smuggling Group.

He added that the NBI Central Visayas was deputized by PASG to undertake the operation.

According to De Lemos, they also received direct orders from a senior deputy director, Edmund Arugay, who personally met him last Friday and ordered them to assist the PASG in the operation.

Arugay is the NBI deputy director for technical services and concurrent deputy director for operations of PASG.

But, Esmeralda said that the policy is clear that before any operation could be conducted by any field offices, a written authority should be obtained first. According to Esmeralda, this was embodied in the administrative order no. 2 issued by NBI director Nestor Mantaring.

Esmeralda said he already verified from the operations center if there was a prior authority issued to the NBI Central Visayas office to conduct the operation but he said there was none.

“I will require him (De Lemos) to explain under what authority the operation was conducted,” Esmeralda said.

NBI and PASG operatives figured in a near shootout last Monday night after they got entangled in a standoff over custody of a container van allegedly spirited out from the Cebu Internal Port.

NBI operatives apprehended three of the container vans that were subject of an anti-smuggling operation.

The tension ensued after PASG-Cebu operatives responded and reportedly disarmed one of the NBI agents.

NBI executive officer Ernesto Macabare however denied that there was such an incident of an agent being disarmed.

According to him, an NBI asset and special investigator Greg Tomagan were only ordered to drop. Macabare said that Tomagan did not have a firearm with him.

Macabare’s claim however was contrary to the statement of PASG-Cebu chief Ariel Palcuto who said that one of the agents was disarmed.

Palcuto however explained that it was not their intention to intervene in a legitimate operation had they been informed about it.

According to Palcuto, they were informed that a group of armed men claiming to be members of PASG was sighted in a warehouse in Mandaue prompting them to go there.

Palcuto said they immediately coordinated with the Mandaue City Police to verify if there was an ongoing law enforcement operation in the area, but they were told that they have not received any coordination request.

Palcuto said that they, together with the personnel of the Mandaue SWAT, responded believing that it was a bogus operation by unscrupulous people using the name of PASG.

He explained that they have received several complaints about people claiming to be PASG extorting money from importers.

Palcuto said they immediately withdrew from the warehouse after they have verified that it was indeed an NBI operation.

However, Palcuto said they have already disarmed some of the agents.

He said that such incident could have been avoided had the NBI coordinated with them to prevent a “misencounter.”

The NBI on the other hand is yet to decide whether or not to press charges against PASG over the incident. Macabarre said they will study the matter.

Esmeralda for his part said he will leave the matter for the regional director to decide.—(/NLQ) (THE FREEMAN)