THE Police Regional Office (PRO)-Negros Island Region is continuously monitoring Bacolod businessman Bryan Ta-ala even after he posted bail for gun smuggling charges on September 8.
Chief Superintendent Renato Gumban, director of PRO-Negros Island, said Ta-ala is still under surveillance as he is considered a “high-value personality.”
His alleged illegal activity linked him to the alleged plot to assassinate President Rodrigo Duterte.
Ta-ala and his aide Wilford Palma were arrested by personnel of CIDG-Negros Occidental at Atlas, Villa Cristina Subdivision in Barangay Tangub in Bacolod City last August 6.
At Camp Crame, Palma admitted being a member of a gun smuggling group, adding that their “number one” customer ordered several gun parts which will allegedly be used for the assassination of Duterte.
Gumban said the intelligence unit of PRO-Negros Island is handling the monitoring of Ta-ala, who was ordered released by the court after he posted a total bail of P200,000 for two counts of violation of Republic Act 10591 or the Comprehensive Firearms and Ammunition Regulation Act.
Although their unit is tasked in monitoring Ta-ala, Gumban said they have no direct involvement in Ta-ala’s case since the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) at the national headquarters mainly handles it.
Director General Ronald de la Rosa, chief of Philippine National Police, ordered on Saturday an investigation on Ta-ala's reported escape, after he was discharged from the hospital and posted bail for his violation.
Gumban said the PRO-Negros Island coordinates with the investigation team of CIDG for whatever assistance they can provide them.
During the arrest of Ta-ala and Palma, operatives recovered from them a box containing smuggled gun parts from the United States worth about of P4.5 million.
After his arrest, Ta-ala was placed under hospital arrest while Palma underwent inquest proceedings before the State Prosecutor’s Office at the Department of Justice on August 8.
Ta-ala was still wearing his hospital gown when he and his lawyer went to the Hall of Justice to post bail.
