South Cotabato gov to CIDG: Shape up

KORONADAL CITY , Philippines   â€“ South Cotabato Gov. Daisy Fuentes yesterday told the new provincial director of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) to advise his men to improve their service to the public.

“Improve your service and protect the agency’s image against scalawags,” Fuentes told Chief Inspector Noel Chagan, the newly appointed CIDG provincial director.

Fuentes has expressed disappointment after some CIDG personnel were recently accused of extorting money from an alleged gambling lord.

Last March 25, three CIDG men, identified as SPO3 Gerry Templonuevo and PO3s Pablo Jugos and Apollo Albert Ilao, reportedly raided a suspected gambling den here without a search warrant and authority from their superior, Senior Inspector Jesson Mocnangan, who Chagan replaced.

The three CIDG officers arrested the alleged gambling operator, said to be a nephew of a prominent politician in the province, but did not take him to their headquarters. Instead they brought him to an unknown place where they demanded money in exchange of his release.      

The three CIDG men have been relieved of their posts and are on “holdover” status at the CIDG regional office in General Santos City while they are being probed.