Albayalde vows due process for Bacolod top cop, 4 officers relieved for ‘drugs’

Director General Oscar Albayalde, chief of the Philippine National Police (Photo from the PNP)

MANILA, Philippines — Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Director General Oscar Albayalde said on Monday that the relieved chief of Bacolod City police and four other police officers who were linked to illegal drugs would be given due process.

Albayalde’s assurance came after President Rodrigo Duterte earlier announced he was firing Senior Supt. Francisco Ebreo as chief of the Bacolod City police in Negros Occidental for allegedly enabling the proliferation of illegal drugs in the city.

Four other officers fired by the President over alleged link to illegal drugs are Senior Supt. Allan Rubi Macapagal, Supt. Richie Makilan Yatar, Supt. Nasruddin Daud Tayuan and Senior Insp. Victor Paulino.

“They will be afforded due process. Hindi naman porke ni-relieve sila they are guilty already (Just because they were relieved they are guilty already),” Albayalde said in a press briefing.

According to Albayalde, the police officers were only removed from their posts pending investigation and that the President’s move does not equate to their dismissal from service.

He also said the PNP has no right to question the decision of the President, whom he stressed is also the commander-in-chief of the PNP.

“If that is the wisdom of the President, kailangan ma-implement natin iyon (If that is the wisdom of the President, we should implement it),” he said.

Albayalde said Ebreo was not included in the drugs watchlist of the PNP.

Chief Supt. John Bulalacao, director of the PNP in Western Visayas, earlier said he was surprised by the announcement of Duterte on firing Ebreo.

Bulalacao said that all the while, he was trusting Ebreo with the campaign against illegal drugs and that he was in fact “delivering substantial accomplishments” as chief of Bacolod City Police.