PHILIPPINE National Police (PNP) spokesperson Brigadier General Bernard Banac on Thursday, October 10, denied the rumor that PNP Chief Oscar Albayalde has resigned amid the controversy over the recycling of seized illegal drugs.

“The PNP dispels the rumor circulating in social media that the PNP chief, Police General Oscar Albayalde, has resigned from his post,” he said in a statement.

“As repeatedly stated by Police General Albayalde, ‘I leave my fate to the decision of the President.’ He is ready to turn over his post to anyone selected by the President to lead the PNP,” he added.

Albayalde, who was the Pampanga police chief when 13 police officers conducted an anti-drugs operation that was found to be irregular, was accused of intervening in the implementation of the dismissal order against the 13 cops and of hinting that he benefited from the operation.

The 13 cops, dubbed as ninja cops, reported confiscating more than 36 kilograms of methamphetamine hydrochloride (shabu) but witnesses said a total of 200 kilograms were seized.

Ninja cops refer to policemen involved in the reselling of illegal drugs seized during illegal drugs operations.

Aside from the under declaration of illegal drugs recovered during the said operation, the cops also allegedly presented a fall guy after the arrested drug lord paid P50 million for his freedom.

During the Senate investigation on ninja cops, an issue that was unearthed following a probe on the irregularities in the implementation of the good conduct time allowance (GCTA) and the corruption inside the New Bilibid Prison (NBP), former Central Luzon Police director and now Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) Aaron Aquino said Albayalde called him in 2016 to ask that he hold the implementation of the dismissal order against “his men.”

Former Criminal Investigation and Detection Group deputy director Rudy Lacadin, who claimed to be friends with Albayalde, said he also received a call from the latter while he was conducting an investigation on the matter.

“Sabi niya, I don’t know if jokingly, but he said, ‘Actually Sir kaunti lang naman ang napunta sa akin diyan’,” Lacadin quoted Albayalde.

Albayalde had repeatedly denied the allegations thrown against him.

“I question the timing of this attack and smear campaign against me. Until now, despite the Senate hearings conducted, no hard evidence was ever presented showing that I was involved in that drug raid in Pampanga in 2013. All statements made remain allegations, insinuations, and unsubstantiated,” he said.

The top cop also denied being friends with Lacadin.

“Lacadin was never a friend, just a franchisee of our water refilling business way back in 2011,” he said.

“Lacadin has a lot of explaining to do and he will have his day in court,” Albayalde added.

“All those police officials ganging up on me have ill motives against me and obviously all worked with the previous administration,” he said. (SunStar Philippines)