PHILIPPINE National Police (PNP) Chief Oscar Albayalde on Friday, October 4, blamed politics for the revival of the ninja cops issue against him.
"Probably, it has something to do with the person who wants to be the next PNP chief," Albayalde, who is set to retire on November 8, said in a television interview.
"They will destroy my reputation, my integrity so that kapag ako ay nag-endorse sa Presidente, that's kiss of death already. This is politics probably in our organization," he added.
Albayalde has been accused of halting the implementation of the dismissal order against 13 Pampanga policemen who were involved in an anti-illegal drugs operation in 2013 that was found to be replete with irregularities.
In a Senate hearing on the ninja cops issue, Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) Director General Aaron Aquino said he received a phone call from Albayalde in mid-2016.
Albayalde was then the officer-in-charge of the National Capital Region Police Office while Aquino was the regional director of Central Luzon police.
Aquino said Albayalde asked him to hold the implementation of the dismissal order.
Albayalde denied Aquino’s claim saying that he merely asked for the status of the case and nothing more.
He said he was not in the position to influence Aquino as the latter was his upperclassman in the Philippine Military Academy.
Aquino had initially revealed that Albayalde merely asked for the status of the case against the 13 policemen. On Thursday, October 3, Aquino said Albayalde had asked him to put the dismissal order on hold.
“Una, remember si General Aquino I think four times na binago ang kanyang statement. Noong una sabi nya status and then when he was pressured in the Senate nag-retract sya and then after the Senate hearing sinabi nya ulit talagang we are friends and then talagang tinanong ni General Albayalde is only the status and then later yesterday nagbago na naman,” he said.
Albayalde was the Pampanga provincial police director when 13 of his men conducted an anti-illegal drugs operation on November 29, 2013 in Woodbridge Subdivision, Lakeshore View in Mexico, Pampanga.
The cops declared that they confiscated 36.68 kilograms of methamphetamine hydrochloride (shabu), but investigation showed later that the volume of drugs confiscated was more than 200 kilograms.
Ninja cops refer to police officer who recycle and sell illegal drugs that were confiscated during legitimate operations. (SunStar Philippines)