MANILA, Philippines — Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Director General Oscar Albayalde has relieved a precinct commander and two intelligence officers in Navotas City for not taking action on drug dens recently raided by agents of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA).
Albayalde revealed this on Wednesday, days after PDEA rescued 12 minors aged four to 15 in a cluster of drug dens at Barangay North Boulevard Bay North. PDEA’s January 16-operation also led to the arrest of 16 drug suspects.
“If that has been happening to your area for so many years, hindi pwedeng hindi mo alam ‘yun (it’s impossible that you don’t know it). There’s no excuse. I cannot accept any excuse on that,” Albayalde said in a media forum.
“It’s because I feel that it is their responsibility [to operate against drug dens],” he also said.
National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) Director Guillermo Eleazar in a text message to INQUIRER.net identified the relieved police officers as Insp. Resty Descalzo, commander of the Police Community Precinct 3 in Navotas City; and PO3 Randy Belly and PO1 Jejomar Padasas, both intelligence officers operating in the area.
Eleazar said they were relieved a day after the PDEA raid. /kga
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