(Eagle News)–Philippine National Police Chief Oscar Albayalde on Thursday, Oct. 10, said the police officials who were “ganging up” on him have “ill motives” against him “and obviously all worked with the previous administration.”
Albayalde said retired general Rudy Lacadin, in particular, who told a Senate joint panel looking into the ninja cops issue that the PNP chief called him upon learning he was probing the 2013 Pampanga raid of 13 policemen and told him “onti lang naman nakuha ko diyan,” “will have his day in court.”
“Lacadin has a lot of explaining to do..,” he said, adding that the retired general was not his friend but a mere franchisee in a water business.
Lacadin’s allegations on Wednesday, Oct. 9, came after Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency Chief Aaron Aquino told the panel Albayalde called him sometime in 2016 and asked him not to implement the 2014 dismissal order against the 13 policemen over the raid.
Albayalde has questioned Lacadin’s timing in hurling the accusations, and noted that he was never charged with anything.
Although Albayalde admitted he called Aquino, he said he never influenced him into doing anything.
“Ano po ‘yung conspiracy dito? It seems everybody is ganging up on me,” Albayalde told the panel on Wednesday, Oct. 9.
But several senators said Lacadin’s allegations had weight.
Senator Richard Gordon has said they could be used as bases to file charges of graft and neglect against Albayalde.
“Well, let’s leave it at that. That testimony is damaging,” Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon said.
President Rodrigo Duterte has said he would defer taking action on the claims against Albayalde and the 13 policemen pending the results of the Senate probe.
