‘Bato’ defends appointment of new PNP anti-drug chief
Senior Supt. Albert Ignatius Ferro (right), PNP-AIDG chief, with PNP chief Director General Ronald de la Rosa (Photo from the PNP Facebook page)
“He deserves a second chance.”
This was how Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Director General Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa defended Senior Superintendent Albert Ferro who was appointed as the new PNP Drug Enforcement Group chief last Saturday.
“He really deserves a second chance. He’s learned his lessons. Some guys are just lucky but not competent, some are competent but unlucky. He was just unlucky,” Dela Rosa said in a press briefing on Tuesday.
The PNP chief also vouched that the track record of Ferro would speak for itself regarding the police official’s credibility and ability.
“I need someone who could steer the PNP drug enforcement group. And I know him, he can really deliver given his track record,” he said.
“Tanggalin n’yo nalang ako kung ayaw n’yo ako pumili ng taong gusto ko. That’s my prerogative. Wag na nila s’ya tirahin. Ako nalang (Why don’t they just remove me if they don’t want me to choose my men. Don’t bother him anymore),” he added.
Ferro previously headed the PNP Anti-Illegal Drugs Group (AIDG), which was dissolved following the Jee Ick Joo scandal.
Last January, the Korean businessman was killed inside PNP headquarters in Camp Crame.
Dela Rosa earlier bared that a syndicate composed of unscrupulous members of the PNP and the National Bureau of Investigation could be behind the crime.
Aside from dissolving the AIDG, the PNP also relieved Ferro.
“Napatunayan naman na ‘di sya involved sa Jee Ick Joo case. He was even instrumental in the resolution of the case. He was not a part of the problem, he was part of the solution. ‘Yun nga lang sya ang boss that time kay ni-relieve natin sya (It was proven he is not involved in the Jee Ick Joo case. It just happened he was the boos of that unit that is why we relieved him),” Dela Rosa said.
The PNP chief said Ferro’s established relationship and coordination with PNP’s foreign counterparts was his most important qualification.
“He has established contacts from our foreign counterparts. Mahirap kasi makuha trust ng foreign counterparts (It is hard to earn the trust of foreign counterparts),” he said. /jpv
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