DILG Secretary Eduardo Año is carrying on President Duterte’s tough order to “dismiss, discharge, or terminate any or all of them” after finding probable cause to the existence and involvement of the “ninja cops”.
Then came the generals at the Senate inquiry pointing all their dirtiest fingers to four-star general Oscar Albayalde who is about to hang his badge and uniform for good, comes November 8, 2019.
The good boys were opportunists to pin down Albayalde in a trial by publicity, knowing that the Senate inquiry is a televised hullabaloo. The retired but not alzheimered generals Magalong, Aquino and Lacadin including the Senate’s Blue Ribbon Committee chairman Richard Gordon forgot that the Senate inquiry is not a regular court to hear and convict, but to hear in aid of legislation, to determine whether or not a new law is necessary, to guide and prevent the same occurrence of fault in the future.
Año who was not swayed of the showoff was categorical to stand decent principle that one should bring his stuff to the court than present ten persons to sing in unison before the senate blue ribbon. This means he cannot crucify Albayalde by sheer hearsay in credence that the hostile disagreement among the generals is a capricious getting of media attention.
The senate blue ribbon hearings put Albayalde and his 100,000 men in the bad light because of the wrongdoings of few rogue cops. At the same time, the series of committee hearings introduced the less popular generals to the public eye at the expense of Albayalde’s reputation, kissing a dramatic exit from service.
However, as we look at the optimistic lateral, this is an opportune time for Albayalde to clear his name from all suspicions being a promising cabinet secretary or equivalent after retirement. Albayalde is a Master’s Degree holder, a basic requirement to hold a cabinet position like many retired generals. He could also be a good timber for the senate like his predecessor and “mistah”, now Senator Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa.
Of being supposed participant of ninja cops, Albayalde will not outrightly panic. He has a strong stomach as a motorcycle rider, sky and scuba diver who knows very well the timing when to jump and when to glide. On the ninja cops indictments he maintained his robust argument on why he was not charged for six years and why flak and accusations surface only when he is about to end his service in the PNP as Chief?
Albayalde will turn over the command on October 29, 2019 -- that is 10 days earlier of his 56th birthday not because he was convicted godfather of ninja cops, but to catch President Duterte’s schedule who will be attending the Asean summit by the first week of November when he is supposed to formally retire. Email: abrigodann@gmail.com