Gamboa: Once Albayalde retires from police force, PNP loses authority to probe him for possible administrative lapses

(Eagle News)–The Philippine National Police will no longer have authority to probe former PNP chief Oscar Albayalde for possible administrative liabilities in connection with the 2013 irregular Pampanga raid once he retires from the police force in November.

This is according to Lt. Gen. Archie Gamboa, who was designated PNP officer-in-charge after Albayalde stepped down amid the allegations he intervened in the status of the cases filed against the 13 policemen who were accused of recycling a large part of the illegal drugs they seized from the raid, and of switching suspects.

The PNP is so far probing the case, which came into the spotlight after former Criminal Investigation and Detection Group Chief Benjamin Magalong’s testimonies before a Senate joint panel probing the problems in the Bureau of Corrections.

The lawmakers had asked Magalong if he believed law enforcers were still engaged in illegal drugs recycling, prompting him to ask for an executive session where he revealed the names of the 13 policemen.

Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency chief Aaron Aquino later told senators Albayalde called him sometime in 2016 to ask him not to implement the 2014 dismissal order against the 13 policemen, who were Albayalde’s men when he was Pampanga provincial director.

Aquino was then the Central Luzon regional police director.

Retired brigadier general Rudy Lacadin later said Albayalde also called him upon learning he was probing the raid and told him “onti lang naman napunta sa akin diyan.”

Albayalde has admitted calling Aquino but denied influencing him into doing anything.

He questioned Magalong’s and Lacadin’s timing in hurling the allegations.

“There is a time framework [for the probe], because once a police officer retires, then the PNP loses jurisdiction, and we cannot try him for error for administrative charge,” Gamboa said in an interview over ANC.