SENATE blue ribbon and justice committees chairman Senator Richard Gordon said on Thursday, October 3, that he wants the truth about the so-called ninja cops to come out.
“I want the truth to come out,” Gordon said at the resumption of the Senate investigation into the good conduct time allowance (GCTA) and ninja cops Thursday.
Ninja cops refer to police officers who recycle or sell illegal drugs that were confiscated during anti-drugs operations.
Thursday's hearing focused on the anti-illegal drugs operation conducted by 13 Pampanga policemen in Woodbridge Subdivision, Lakeshore View in Mexico, Pampanga in November 2013.
On Tuesday, October 1, former Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) and now Baguio City Mayor Benjamin Magalong revealed that the operation was replete with irregularities.
The volume of illegal drugs confiscated was 200 kilograms, but only 36.68 kilograms were declared. The suspect arrested during the operation was allegedly released after paying P50 million and another person was presented to authorities in what is referred to as "palit-ulo" scheme.
The policemen involved in the operation were identified as then Superintendent Rodney Raymundo Baloyo IV; Senior Inspector Joven de Guzman Jr. Senior Police Officers 1 Jules Maniago, Donald Roque, Ronald Santos, Rommel Vital, Alcindor Tinio and Eligio Valeroso; Police Officers 3 Dindo Dizon, Gilbert De Vera, Romeo Guerrero Jr. and Dante Dizon; and Police Officer 2 Anthony Lacsamana.
“There were major infractions yet hindi umuusad ang kaso (against these cops),” Gordon said.
“It appears that the chief PNP, lumalabas ay parang very loyal siya sa tao niya kaya medyo nagkakaroon ng badge of suspicion,” he added.
He was relieved a few months after the operation while the 13 policemen were ordered dismissed in November 2014.
The dismissal order was, however, not served until March 2016. Albayalde allegedly called then Central Luzon police chief Aaron Aquino, who is now the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) director, in mid-2016 to ask him not to implement the dismissal order.
The 13 policemen, who had filed a motion for reconsideration, were simply demoted. (SunStar Philippines)