MANILA, Philippines—The organized group of police officers allegedly involved in the recycling of seized illegal drugs, or otherwise known as “ninja cops,” is now a “thing of the past.”
This was the report of Philippine National Police (PNP) chief General Oscar Albayalde to President Rodrigo Duterte during their meeting in Malacañang Wednesday night, Presidential spokesman Salvador Panelo said.
“Albayalde told me that he updated the President on the status of the drug war; he told him about the so-called ninja cops syndicate and revealed to the President that that ninja cops syndicate is a thing of the past – that happened during the previous years of the previous administration. That has been dismantled during the term of former PNP Chief General, now Senator Ronald Dela Rosa and during his term,” Panelo said in a Palace briefing Thursday.
“What we have are police scalawags,” Panelo added, quoting Albayalde as saying.
Panelo said the so-called “ninja cop” syndicate is a group of policemen working together in recycling confiscated illegal drugs while police scalawags are the ones working on their own.
But when asked if these alleged scalawag policemen are involved in the recycling of drugs, Panelo said: “Definitely, these police officers are involved (in the drug trade) but not syndicated like before.”
Earlier, Senators Bong Go and Richard Gordon said the President will bare the names of 22 “ninja cops” whom Baguio City Mayor and former chief of the Philippine National Police-Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (PNP-CIDG) Benjamin Magalong identified during a Senate executive session.
READ: Duterte to announce names of ‘ninja cops’ soon — Go
Go, Duterte’s trusted aide said the President has already ordered the cross-validation of the list of “ninja cops”, and assured that once he announces the names, it will be “100 percent sure.”
Panelo added that Duterte will validate the list of “ninja cops” with his “own resources.”
On Wednesday, Duterte warned “ninja cops” that they will “die first” if they continue their illegal activities. /je
READ: Duterte to ‘ninja cops’: You’ll die first