Director General Oscar Albayalde. (Photo from a PNP video posted on its Facebook page)
Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Director General Oscar Albayalde on Thursday denied that police officers at checkpoints plant illegal drugs in vehicles during inspection.
This statement of Albayalde came in the wake of several social media posts claiming that policemen imbed illegal drugs at checkpoints.
“Let me tell you that these are all fake information, [that these are] fake news,” he said in a press briefing.
Albayalde likewise denied a specific social media post that claimed a police officer planted illegal drugs in a vehicle at a hotel parking lot.
“How can police man the parking lot of hotels? We do not man parking lot of hotels. Hindi po pwedeng makialam ‘yung pulis (The police cannot meddle) because they have their own security personnel sa mga (in) different hotels,” he said.
According to Albayalde, the police visited a priest in Mindoro who was quoted in a post that he was victimized by the alleged scheme of policemen. The PNP said the priest denied the incident has happened to him.
Albayalde then urged the public to be discerning and not believe all social media posts that tarnish the image of the PNP.
“These are all fake news. Huwag po tayong basta-basta maniwala sa mga ganitong [accusations],” Albayalde said.
He assured the PNP observes certain procedures in conducting checkpoints. He then encouraged the public who might experience such indiscretions by policemen at checkpoints to report the incident directly to police superiors. /kga
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