Gordon rebukes Albayalde: “You dropped the ball big time”

PNP Chief Oscar Albayalde was also in attendance in Thursday’s hearing on the Good Conduct Time Allowance law (second from left). The probe has expanded to include the recycling of illegal drugs allegedly by some unscrupulous policemen./Meanne Corvera/Eagle News/

(Eagle News)–“You dropped the ball big time.”

This was the stinging rebuke made on Thursday, Oct. 3, by Senator Richard Gordon to Philippine National Police Chief Oscar Albayalde, who is in hot water over what has been described as an irregular drug raid conducted by his men in Pampanga in 2013.

Gordon lashed out at Albayalde during the hearing on the Good Conduct Time Allowance law after the then-provincial director of Pampanga said there was presumption of regularity when then-Col. Rodney Baloyo and 12 other policemen raided a house in Woodridge Subdivision in 2013.

Former Criminal Investigation and Detection Group Chief Benjamin Magalong said a CIDG probe into the raid found Baloyo’s team presented only 36 kilograms of the 200 kilograms they seized in the house, leading to speculations they recycled the illegal substances in the market.

The probe, Magalong said, also found that while Baloyo’s team managed to arrest drug suspect Johnson Lee, they presented to the media a different man, prompting the conclusion Lee was allowed to go in exchange for money.

“And yet, do you realize, that in your report, ikaw lang at si Baloyo ang nagsasabi na hapon ang raid? Ikaw lang. And yet nakikita natin lahat na umaga yung raid,” Gordon said, noting  the testimonies of witnesses during the hearings.

Gordon also told off Albayalde’s treatment of Baloyo and his men, who Magalong pointed out, were still in active service, some of them in good positions.

Magalong said one of them was even a chief of police.

Baloyo and the 12 other policemen were ordered dismissed in 2014 over the raid, but the order was not implemented.

Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency chief Aaron Aquino, who  served as Central Luzon regional police director,  revealed that Albayalde, who was then the chief of the National Capital Region Police Office, called him in 2016 and asked him about the status of the cases against Baloyo and his group.

On Thursday, he admitted Albayalde did not just ask for the status of the case, but told him to refrain from implementing the dismissal order.

Aquino said he told Albayalde he would deploy Baloyo and the group to Mindanao instead.

Albayalde has admitted calling Aquino, but noted he did not say anything that would influence the now-PDEA chief into doing anything.

“Dapat sabihin mo, kahit tao ko ang mga ‘yan, ipapakulong ko ang mga iyan. ‘Yan ang hinihintay ng tao,” Gordon told Albayalde.