THE police will investigate one of its high-ranking officials whose name appeared in a cell phone of a suspected drug group in Bohol.
Supt. Pablo Labra II, Police Regional Office (PRO) 7's Regional Intelligence Division acting chief, said the investigation will determine if the official provided protection to the group of former policeman Owen Rosales in exchange for money.
Labra, however, declined to reveal the name of the official, who has been transferred to the PNP national headquarters in Camp Crame from his post in Bohol.
Rosales and five companions were killed in the June 8, 2014 shootout with law enforcers in Bien Unido, Bohol. Rosales’ group was allegedly involved in the June 7, 2014 ambush that killed Chief Insp. George Caña, police station chief of Ubay, Bohol.
Caña had ordered the arrest of several suspected drug pushers in Ubay.
A ballistic examination conducted by PNP Regional Crime Laboratory Office 7 showed that the empty shells of M16 armalite rifle recovered from Rosales' group in Bien Unido matched those that were found in Talibon, Bohol where Caña was ambushed.
Earlier, Labra said five low-ranking policemen allegedly received payola from Rosales and are now under investigation.
The three policemen are assigned in Bohol while the two others are in Cebu City. Their names were found in a book containing a list of possible pushers and protectors.
In an interview, Labra said Rosales and his five companions were found positive of gun powder residue, which means they fired shots at law enforcers who tried to arrest them.
One of Rosales' companions was Amie Camero, 18, a resident of Barangay Cansojong, Talisay City, Cebu. She was laid to rest last Monday.