PNP to drop charges vs vaccine-for-sale whistleblower
MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine National Police said it will be dropping charges against the whistleblower of the alleged vaccine for slot sale scheme, admitting that she “should not have been included in the criminal complaint” based on the evidence on hand.
PNP chief Guillermo Eleazar said Saturday in a statement that he has instructed the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group to withdraw the cases filed against businesswoman Nina Ellaine Dizon-Cabrera “at the soonest possible time.”
Eleazar also ordered the relief of CIDG Eastern Metro Manila District Field Unit chief Police Lt. Col. Arnold Moleta for “lapse in judgment and for command responsibility in the conduct of investigation.”
JUST IN: PNP chief Guillermo Eleazar orders the relief of CIDG Eastern Metro Manila chief PLtCol Arnold Moleta, admits that Nina Dizon-Cabrera "should not have been included in the criminal complaint" over the vaccine slot for sale scheme in Mandaluyong City @PhilstarNews
— Franco Luna (@francoIuna) June 12, 2021
“Ang mali ay mali at hindi dapat pinaninindigan. Sa halip, ito ay itinatama upang hindi na maulit, at upang kapulutan din ng aral para maging maayos ang pagsisislbi sa taumbayan,” Eleazar said.
(What is wrong is wrong and should not be stood by. Instead, this should be corrected so it would not happen again, and so that lessons can be learned and the public can be served well.)
The PNP-CIDG filed Monday charges of estafa, violation of the Anti-Red Tape Act and the Anti-Cybercrime Prevention Act against Dizon-Cabrera, who revealed on Twitter the supposed scheme to sell COVID-19 vaccine slots.
Eleazar previously said that they included Dizon-Cabrera in the charge sheet after an investigation showed that she offered 50 to 100 vaccination slots in Mandaluyong City.
In her defense, Dizon-Cabrera said she only asked about the vaccination slots so she can get more details about the supposed scheme and that she did not push through with the transaction.
Eleazar then vowed to review the charges against Dizon-Cabrera.
“The incident that occured to me is an example of what happens when cases are not deliberated and investigated thoroughly — innocent people are accused and some who are unfortunate get jailed,” she said Friday statement.
While the charges against Dizon-Cabrera were dropped, the same charges against Cyle Cedric Bonifacio and Melvin Polo Gutierrez will still be pursued by police. — Xave Gregorio with a report from Franco Luna
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