Albayalde: PNP to probe police officers linked to owner of raided Rizal farm

The Philippine National Police (PNP) will investigate allegations that some police officers were being paid by the owner of a raided farm in Rizal where high-powered guns were found,  in exchange for protection, PNP Chief Director General Oscar Albayalde said on Thursday.

“Pinapa-imbestigahan na po natin ‘yan, although initially hindi daw po alam ng PD (provincial director) ‘yan,” Albayalde said in a radio interview with DZMM.

He added that he has already talked to Police Regional Office 4-A (PRO 4-A) Regional Director Chief Supt. Edward Carranza, and had asked Rizal Provincial Director Sr. Supt. Lou Evangelista for an explanation.

According to earlier reports, high-powered firearms were seized by a joint team from the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) and the Philippine Army on Tuesday, during a raid on the 200-hectare farm in Teresa, Rizal.

Eight persons were arrested in the raid,  including farm owner Ki Be E alias Lily Ong, who has allegedly admitted to paying a list of police officers around P8,000 each month in exchange for her protection from being kidnapped.

The presence of guns and documents labeled as “war materials” is being linked to the supposed “Red October” destabilization plot, which the Armed Forces of the Philippines claims to be a movement to oust President Rodrigo Duterte.

READ: Army recovers high-powered guns in Rizal farm raid

Despite the links of police officers to the farm owner, Albayalde assured that PNP personnel are not joining ouster plots,  saying those under Ong’s payroll might be merely involved in an illegal way of earning money.

“As of this time wala po tayong nakukuhang impormasyon na ganyan, na merong kahit na isang involved na PNP, most probably baka pakikisama po ‘yon or talagang hanap buhay o nagsa-sideline lang ‘yong mga pulis natin ‘dun,” he explained.  /muf