Press Release
September 13, 2013

KOKO BEWAILS NBI OPERATION IN CEBU SCHOOL CAMPUS

Senator Aquilino "Koko" Pimentel III today chided the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) in Cebu City for carrying out a noisy "rescue operation" for supposed victims of a cybersex crime inside a school campus in Mactan, Cebu without close coordination with local authorities.

Pimentel said that the operation was simply an overkill because what was expected to be a discreet action was leaked to the media, traumatizing many young students at the Babag National High School in Lapu-Lapu City at the sight of armed men whisking away their classmates for questioning.

He expressed support behind the concern raised by Lapu-Lapu City Mayor Paz Radaza, who frowned upon the botched rescue operation by the NBI assisted by fully-armed agents of the Special Weapons Attack Team (SWAT) of the police which turned out to be cases of mistaken identity for the students therein.

Pimentel said that it was not necessary for the NBI and the SWAT to just intrude into the campus during class hours to subject the alleged victims of cybersex to cold and probing questions.

The Mindanao senator said that based on reports, many young students were stunned at the way the NBI and SWAT operatives whisked away the alleged victims out of their classrooms, causing trauma to some of them who were simply overwhelmed by the blatant display of firepower.

He said the NBI and the police should review their operational manual in rescue operations, especially when young victims are allegedly involved, to prevent a repeat of the incident and avoid miscues that would only create more problems instead of resolving the issues at hand.

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