Philippine National Police Chief General Benjamin C Acorda Jr. speaks during a press conference in Quezon City on May 8, 2023. Mark Demayo, ABS-CBN News/File

Acorda

Jauhn Etienne Villaruel

Raya Capulong

ABS-CBN News

<div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:950px"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/172725271458420230508-dilg-napolcom-presscon-MD-2120.jpg" style="width:950px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">Philippine National Police Chief General Benjamin C Acorda Jr. speaks during a press conference in Quezon City on May 8, 2023. <em>Mark Demayo, ABS-CBN News/File</em></span></span></span>MANILA (<strong>UPDATED</strong>) — Former Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Benjamin Acorda, Jr. on Wednesday denied ever having ties with POGO &quot;personalities&quot; such as Alice Guo and Tony Yang, admitting that he was &quot;hurt&quot; by insinuations caused by photos shown at an earlier Senate panel hearing.</div><div><a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/2024/9/24/senate-panel-flags-ex-pnp-chief-over-photos-with-pogo-personalities-1839">• Senate panel flags ex-PNP chief over photos with POGO &#x27;personalities&#x27;</a></div><p>&quot;I can say to anybody squarely, eye to eye, without flinching an eye na malinis tayo diyan kay Alice Guo. Wala tayong pakialam diyan sa pagtakas niya. Hindi rin ako tumatanggap ng pera sa kanya,&quot; he said in a phone interview.</p><p>Acorda added that he was the one who ordered the operation that led to the discovery of the illegal POGO in Bamban.</p><div><a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/spotlight/04/24/23/fast-facts-who-is-benjamin-acorda-the-new-pnp-chief">• FAST FACTS: Who is Benjamin Acorda, the new PNP chief?</a></div><p>Sen. Risa Hontiveros on Tuesday showed photos of Acorda with Yang, Guo&#x27;s brother Wesley, as well as Sual Mayor Dong Calugay, all being linked to illegal POGOs. </p><div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:950px"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/17272527570441727173990563460990564_1251566946039335_2329267362089879632_n.jpg" style="width:950px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">A photo of ex-PNP chief Benjamin Acroda with Mindanao-based businessman Tony Yang, who was allegedly linked to POGOs. <em>Office of Sen. Risa Hontiveros</em></span></span></span>The senator asked why high-ranking government officials were &quot;fraternizing&quot; with an alleged fugitive, referring to Yang.</div><p>But Acorda said he had no idea about Yang&#x27;s alleged criminal background when the photo was taken &quot;in 2010.&quot;</p><p>He said he was every hurt that those photos were shown by the Senate panel.</p><p>&quot;As I have said medyo masakit, hindi lang medyo, talagang masakit because for 37 years I tried to keep my records clean pero just for one picture or many pictures and with so many innuendos nasira kaagad. Pero kasama na yan sa serbisyo,&quot; he said.</p><p>Acorda served as PNP chief from April 2023 to March 2024.</p><p>Hontiveros said Acorda would be given a chance to explain himself in the next hearing of her committee.</p><p>Another former PNP chief, Senator Ronald Dela Rosa, stressed that photos are not enough to establish a person&#x27;s involvement in illegal activities, even as he made it clear that he is not defending Acorda.</p><p>&quot;Anybody can have pictures with us. Lalong-lalong na kung ikaw ay Chief PNP,&quot; said Dela Rosa. &quot;We will have to wait for (Acorda&#x27;s) explanation.&quot;</p><p>Dela Rosa believes Acorda is a decent person. He supposedly reached out to former PNP chiefs who are fellow members of the Council of Chiefs. </p><p>&quot;Acorda gave us the assurance, members of the Council of Chiefs, na wala siyang ginagawang masama,&quot; Dela Rosa said. -- <strong>with a report from Victoria Tulad, ABS-CBN News<br/></strong></p><div><strong>RELATED VIDEO: </strong></div><div><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/gKcaLo94Sbg?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span><br/></div>

<p>Former Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Benjamin Acorda, Jr. on Wednesday denied ever having ties with POGO "personalities" such as Alice Guo and Tony Yang, admitting that he was "hurt" by insinuations caused by photos shown at an earlier Senate panel hearing. </p>

Former Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Benjamin Acorda, Jr. on Wednesday denied ever having ties with POGO "personalities" such as Alice Guo and Tony Yang, admitting that he was "hurt" by insinuations caused by photos shown at an earlier Senate panel hearing.

Ex-PNP chief Acorda denies POGO ties, says 'hurt' by 'innuendos' at Senate panel | ABS-CBN

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Ex-PNP chief Acorda denies POGO ties, says 'hurt' by 'innuendos' at Senate panel

Ex-PNP chief Acorda denies POGO ties, says 'hurt' by 'innuendos' at Senate panel

Jauhn Etienne Villaruel,

Raya Capulong,

ABS-CBN News

Published Sep 25, 2024 04:40 PM PHT

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Updated Sep 25, 2024 06:01 PM PHT

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