PNP spokesperson, Brig. Gen. Bernard Banac. (File photo)
MANILA -- The Philippine National Police (PNP) on Tuesday welcomed the Senate's decision to release to the public the identities of police officers allegedly involved in the reselling of seized illegal drugs, who are subjects of the upper chamber's executive session last week.
“Let the axe fall where it may. We bow to the discretion of the Senate if it so desires to make public the names of PNP members whom it tags as ‘ninja cops’,” PNP spokesperson Brig. Gen. Bernard Banac said in a statement.
“We request, however that the Senate exercise due diligence in protecting the rights of these persons against undue persecution,” he stressed.
Banac said the PNP only has the best interest of justice, fairness, and good governance in uncovering the truth behind the alleged involvement of cops in recycling drug evidence.
On Tuesday night, the Senate approved Senator Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa’s motion authorizing the Senate Blue Ribbon and Justice committees to release to the public the identities of police officers allegedly involved in the reselling of seized illegal drugs.
A total of 17 senators voted to approve the motion to authorize the said committees to disclose the contents regarding the so-called “ninja cops” discussed in an executive session.
“I’d like to move for this body to authorize the Blue Ribbon committee to disclose the contents of the executive session that transpired during the last Senate committee hearing regarding the GCTA (good conduct time allowance) anomaly,” dela Rosa said in his motion.
When asked to explain the rationale behind his motion, dela Rosa cited speculations linking Philippine National Police chief Gen. Oscar Albayalde to drug recycling, noting that it would be unfair for those tagged in the issue if there is no truth to such allegations.
On Monday, Albayalde said they are now monitoring rogue cops that appeared in the PNP’s previous watch list.
“The least PDEA should have done was to inform the PNP so that we could have acted upon the information on alleged cops doing drug recycling,” Albayalde said.
Since July 2016, the PNP has already filed administrative cases against 8,733 uniformed and non-uniformed personnel involved in different illegal activities. Of these cases, 448 PNP personnel have been dismissed after they were found involved in illegal drugs.
Albayalde said the PNP supports the desire of President Rodrigo Duterte to impose stiffer sanctions against PNP members found to be engaged in recycling of drug evidence.
“Pilferage and recycling of drug evidence by members of law enforcement is certainly worse than the crime committed by drug traffickers and therefore should be treated differently, possibly with stiffer punishment,” Albayalde said.
Meanwhile, Interior Secretary Eduardo Año assured the PNP is doing its best to enforce the law and ensure public safety by going after scalawags in uniform.
Former Criminal Investigation and Detection Group and now Baguio City mayor Benjamin Magalong reportedly identified the cops and police officials involved in the recycling of illegal drugs in an executive hearing in the Senate last week.
In a Senate budget hearing last week, Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency Director General Aaron Aquino admitted that the recycling of seized illegal drugs remains rampant and rogue anti-narcotics operatives either sell the drugs or use them as planted evidence in bogus operations. (PNA)
