Nobleza relieved from post —Crime Lab chief

Superintendent Maria Cristina Nobleza has been relieved from her post as deputy director of the Davao Regional Police Office's Crime Laboratory following her arrest in Bohol with an alleged Abu Sayyaf member.

Chief Superintendent Aurelio Trampe, PNP-Crime Laboratory director, said Nobleza is now assigned to the unit's national headquarters in Camp Crame pending investigations on her case.

“Oo, tinanggal na siya. Naka-assign na sa NHQ CL,” Trampe said in a text message to GMA News Online.

The relief order became effective April 24. Nobleza has been assigned to the General Services Section, Administrative and Resource Management Division of the Crime PNP-Laboratory.

Nobleza was arrested Saturday with his alleged boyfriend, suspected Abu Sayyaf member and bomb expert Reenor Lou Dungon alias Kudre, his mother Judith Dungon, and a teenager.

Police had said that Nobleza and Dungon were in Bohol supposedly to rescue the remaining Abu Sayyaf members who slipped into the province to conduct kidnappings.

Charges of illegal possession of firearms and harboring criminals have been filed against Nobleza.

PNP chief Director General Ronald dela Rosa on Monday revealed that Nobleza and Dungon met in 2013 when the suspected Abu Sayyaf bomber was detained at the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC) following his arrest in Marawi City and transfer to Manila.

Dela Rosa said Nobleza was a PAOCC agent assigned to interview Dungon while he was in detention.

The Crime Laboratory is Nobleza’s mother unit since she entered the PNP in 1996.

She transferred to Task Force Smuggling of the PNP, Anti-Illegal Gambling Special Operations Task Force, and PACER in 2005.

She was appointed as Chief of the Intelligence Operation Division of the Directorate for Intelligence from 2008 to 2011.

In 2012, she returned to the Crime Laboratory and was assigned to the Police Regional Office 5 (Bicol).

She was then transferred to the Intelligence Group, PAOCC, and Office of the chief PNP in 2013.

Nobleza was assigned to the PNP-Anti Illegal Drugs Group in 2016. She was transferred back to the Crime Laboratory in February after the anti-drug unit was abolished.

Dela Rosa said Nobleza, an Islam convert, was married to another member of the PNP, a police attaché assigned in Pakistan. —ALG, GMA News