By CESAR JOLITO III

An active police major assigned in Bacolod City is now under preventive custody after being tagged as an alleged “protector” of a large-scale illegal cigarette manufacturing operation uncovered in Negros Occidental, Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla said.

Speaking during a press briefing at the raided cigarette warehouse in Negros Occidental’s Bago City, Remulla disclosed that the police officer is currently undergoing intensive debriefing as authorities suspect he was not acting alone.

“He is under preventive custody, and a deeper investigation is ongoing because we believe there are other individuals involved,” Remulla said.

Investigators revealed that the warehouse in Barangay Calumangan — where the illegal cigarette factory was discovered — was being leased by the police officer, strengthening suspicions of his direct link to the illicit operation.

The Philippine National Police, through the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group, has since launched a broader probe to determine the full extent of the officer’s involvement, including possible connections to a wider criminal network operating in the Negros Island Region.

Authorities are also looking into whether the police major had ties to other illegal activities linked to the syndicate, including underground operations previously uncovered in nearby areas.

The officer remains in custody pending the results of the investigation and the possible filing of administrative and criminal charges./CJ, WDJ