(Eagle News)–Oscar Albayalde is “not yet off the hook” even after he resigned as Philippine National Police chief, Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon said on Monday, Oct. 14.
According to Drilon, Albayalde’s resignation ahead of his mandatory retirement on Nov. 8 “will not in any way clear him from his liablity, both administratively or criminally, in connection with the Pampanga ninja cops issue.”
“Albayalde’s continued defense, and his failure to condemn the acts, of Major Rodney Baloyo, and his men, in the face of the evidence indicated complicity to the criminal conduct of his men,” Drilon said.
He was referring to Baloyo and the 12 other policemen behind the 2013 Mexico, Pampanga drug raid which the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group found to be irregular.
Baloyo and the 12 policemen were ordered dismissed over the raid, but they were eventually only demoted.
Worse, the former PNP chief may have had a hand in the cover-up, Drilon said.
According to Drilon, he expects the two Senate committees that probed the ninja cops issue to recommend amendments that include making recycling of illegal drugs by law enforcement punishable by life imprisonment, and stronger provisions on the mandatory destruction of confiscated drugs under the Dangerous Drugs Law.
He said he would push for amendments to the law’s implementing rules and regulations, particularly with regard to the period of destroying seized contraband to address the issue of drug recycling.
“We expect a better vetting process should be instituted in the selection of next PNP Chief, and in general, in the assignment of PNP officers,” Drilon said.
“The next PNP chief will have to work doubly hard to regain the credibility of the police community and the government’s drug war,” he added.
