POLICE Brigadier General Narciso Domingo, director of the Philippine National Police (PNP) Drug Enforcement Group (PDEG), denied on Tuesday, April 11, 2023, any attempt to cover up the seizure of P6.7 billion worth of methamphetamine hydrochloride (shabu) during an anti-drug operation in Manila City in October 2022.
In a press conference in Camp Crame, Domingo said he will comply with the order of Department of the Interior and Local Government Secretary Benhur Abalos Jr. for him to file his leave of absence to pave the way for the investigation on the matter.
“But may I express my dismay that this is really unfair. We just did our mandate and just did our fight against the illegal drugs trade. Kami na nga po itong nakagawa ng pinakamalaking huli ng shabu sa kasaysayan ng PNP, 990 kilos shabu na nagkakahalaga ng P6.7 billion, kinasuhan ang dalawang suspects pati ang kapwa naming pulis na si Police Master Sergeant (Rodolfo) Mayo Jr., kami pa ngayon ang pinagdududahang kasabwat sa aming nahuling suspects,” he said.
(We made the largest shabu catch in the history of the PNP, 990 kilos of shabu worth P6.7 billion, two suspects were charged. as well as our fellow police officer, Police Master Sergeant (Rodolfo) Mayo Jr., and we are now the suspected accomplices of our arrested suspects.)
“Our conscience is clear, we assure you there is no attempt over up here,” he added.
On Monday evening, April 10, Abalos directed Domingo and the following police officers to file their leave of absences or be suspended while the probe into their alleged involvement in a “massive cover-up” of the drug raid, which resulted in Mayo’s arrest and seizure of 990 kilograms of shabu worth P6.7 billion, is ongoing:
* Police Colonel Julian Olonan, chief of PDEG Special Operations Unit (SOU) Region 4A
* Police Captain (PCapt) Jonathan Sosongco, head of the PDEG SOU 4A arrest team
* Police Lieutenant Colonel (PLtCol) Arnulfo Ibañez, officer-in-charge of PDEG SOU National Capital Region (NCR)
* Police Major Michael Angelo Salmingo, deputy of PDEG SOU NCR
* PLtCol Glenn Gonzales of Quezon City Police District
* Police Lieutenant Ashrap Amerol, intelligence officer of PDEG Intelligence and Foreign Liaison Division
* PLtCol Harry Lorenzo, Manila PD Moriones Station Commander
* PCapt Randolph Piñon, chief of PDEG SOU 4A Intelligence Section
Abalos presented a closed circuit television (CCTV) footage taken in front of Wealth and Personal Development (WPD) Lending Inc. in Tondo, Manila that showed the actual series of events in relation to operation, in contrast to the report presented by PDEG earlier.
Based on the PDEG report, Mayo, then a member of the PNP Drug Enforcement Group's Special Operations Unit in the National Capital Region, was arrested during a drug bust in Quiapo, Manila on October 9, 2022. Seized from him were P13.6 million worth of shabu.
PDEG said the operation stemmed from the arrest of a drug suspect identified as Ney Saligumba Atadero during a buy-bust operation in Tondo Manila on October 8.
Recovered from Atadero were over 990 kilograms of shabu with an estimated value of P6.7 billion.
During the investigation, police said Atadero revealed that more illegal drugs can be found inside the WPD office in Sta. Cruz, Manila that was owned by Mayo.
The CCTV footage showed Mayo, being already under the custody of PDEG, handcuffed, on October 8.
Domingo said it was part of their “tactical move” in a bid to get bigger fishes, noting that he does not believe that Mayo can handle such a big stash of illegal drugs on his own.
“From the very start, I didn’t believe that Mayo can handle a 990 kilos shabu operation, that is why right after I was informed by Colonel Olonan, I immediately message the then deputy chief for operation (TDCO) Police Lieutenant General Benjamin Santos Jr. as soon as director for intelligence Police Major General Acorda that we will use Mayo to locate the main source of his drugs, the chief PNP (General Rodolfo Azurin Jr.) and TDCO approved my proposal,” he said.
“Mayo and Ibañez assured me also that they can pinpoint another warehouse with much much bigger stocks of illegal drugs. Ang totoo kasing nangyari dito nagkalaglagan, may naglaglag kay Mayo kaya nahuli natin ngayon. Bilang ganti, gusto na rin ilaglag ni Mayo ‘yung naglaglag sa kanya. Unfortunately, nung nakaalis na si Ibañez at Mayo, may nag-message kay CPNP na maaaring patayin si Mayo ng kanyang mga kasama. The chief PNP told me to stop and secure Mayo because he might be killed,” he added.
Following the filing of charges against Mayo and his alleged cohort, Atadero, Domingo said they conducted a counter-intelligence operation and backtracked the personalities who frequented the WPD Lending Inc. in Tondo, Manila where the 990 kilograms shabu was stored.
Domingo said they reviewed the CCTV footage even before it was presented by Abalos in public, where they saw some of their men stealing some of the drug haul.
He said he immediately reported the matter to Azurin and Santos, prompting them to form Special Investigation Task Group (SITG) 990 headed by Major General Eliseo Cruz.
It was noted that 42 kilos of shabu were missing.
Domingo said he was ordered to cease and desist any involvement in the probe as those under investigation were his men.
“Had I not been stopped to investigate, baka na-identify na namin yun o nakasauhan ‘yung mga kasabwat sa 990,” he said.
“Kung kasabwat po kami ng mga suspect na nakuha namin, hindi na sana naming ni-report ang mga nahuli namin sa CCTV, tumahimik nalang sana kami,” he added.
(If we were complicit with the suspects we caught, we wouldn't have reported what we caught on CCTV. We would have kept quiet.)
As reported, the 42 kilograms of shabu were surrendered and recovered on October 15, 2022 in an abandoned car parked along Boni Serrano Ave. in San Juan City near Camp Crame.
Police Senior Master Sergeant Jerrywin Rebosora and Police Master Sergeant Lorenzo Catarat were cited for contempt after lying over their involvement in the missing 42 kilos shabu during a Senate inquiry in March.
The two were caught on a CCTV camera carrying the illegal drugs but they maintained they were eating at a nearby eatery when the incident happened.
Another police officer, Police Colonel Roland Portera, said the two surrendered the 42 kilos of drugs.
Domingo admitted that as seen in the CCTV footage presented by Abalos, they committed several lapses but they can justify it, maintaining that they did that to get Mayo’s cohorts.
He said they will be sharing all necessary information to the National Police Commission (Napolcom), which was ordered by Abalos to conduct a separate investigation on the operation.
On March 26, the PNP and the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency destroyed 990 kilos of shabu in Trece Martires City, Cavite.
Mayo has already been dismissed from the police service. (SunStar Philippines)