PHILIPPINE National Police (PNP) Chief Gen. Dionardo B. Carlos on Wednesday apologized to Ombudsman Samuel Martires after two Iloilo policemen lambasted the anti-corruption body recently.

“As chief of the Philippine National Police, I am apologizing to our ombudsman and to the entire Office of the Ombudsman about the incident,” the top cop said.

According to Gen. Carlos, the sentiments aired by Lieutenant Colonel Jonathan Pinuela and Captain Charlie Sustento of the Iloilo Police Provincial Office do not represent the entire police organization.

Lt. Col. Pinuela and Cpt. Sustento last week appeared in a press conference in Iloilo City to question the six-month suspension slapped by the Ombudsman on the former for conduct prejudicial to the best interest of the service, grave abuse of authority, and grave misconduct.

The Office of the Ombudsman was deeply hurt by the tirades made by the two Iloilo policemen and demanded a public apology.

However, many police officers and men said that although the two erred in their ‘generalization’ of the Ombudsman, the fact will remain that there are many PNP personnel—both active and retired who, in the past have become ‘victims’ of some Ombudsman investigators and were “forced to come across their demands” in exchange for favorable rulings.

Pinuela dubbed his suspension as a form of harassment and he found an ally in Sustento who was recently reinstated from the service after the Court of Appeals overturned an Ombudsman order in 2017 dismissing him for grave misconduct and conduct unbecoming of a police officer.

However, on Wednesday, the two joined the PNP Chief in making a public apology to the Ombudsman. Sustento apologized to Ombudsman Martires himself saying that he was not referring to the whole Ombudsman’s Office when he had an outburst regarding the suspension of Lt. Col. Jonathan Pinuela.

“I, Police Capt. Charlie Sustento Jr., would like to apologize to the Office of the Ombudsman and to Honorable Justice Samuel Martires, for my emotional outburst last January 20, 2022, during the media interview in Iloilo City,” Sustento said.

The officer’s allegations against the Office of the Ombudsman were reportedly triggered by an Ombudsman decision to suspend Pinuela, his classmate, for a complaint against the latter regarding an election checkpoint in Dumangas town, Iloilo.

Sustento appealed to the Ombudsman to review the case adding that they are willing to send out statements and cooperate with the investigation if needed.

According to Sustento, the suspension of Pinuela brought flashbacks of his own suspension after he reportedly pointed a gun at a civilian in 2017 during a police operation.

However, although the CA reversed his dismissal, he was demoted from Police Major to Captain.

Gen. Carlos said that before the two Iloilo policemen’s apology, he was ordered by Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Eduardo M. Año to investigate why the police officer made the accusation and to address the concerns of the Ombudsman.

The PNP chief said he immediately went to Iloilo and brought Sustento and Pinuela with him as early as Monday night.

“We called for this press briefing on an apologetic note, to express our highest respect to the Ombudsman, particularly to the Office of the Deputy Ombudsman for Military and Other Law Enforcement Offices, over the statement made by two of our officers in Iloilo last January 20,” Gen. Carlos said on Wednesday.

Gen. Carlos also clarified that Sustento’s statements were not reflective of the PNP’s stand, adding that they respect the mandate of the Office of the Ombudsman.

“The statements made by Lt. Col. Jonathan Pinuela and Capt. Charlie Sustento Jr. during their presscon in Iloilo were purely an expression of their personal views and opinions, and do not reflect any official policy or action of the PNP,” Gen. Carlos noted.

“I believe, after talking to them, that a public apology is in order. The Office of the Ombudsman deserves all the respect as an institution that promotes good governance and proper behavior among workers in the bureaucracy. As such, I cannot afford (it) to be tainted and malign with serious accusations that will affect its integrity,” he explained.