BALANGIGA, Eastern Samar, Philippines — On returning from Russia, President Rodrigo Duterte will reveal the names of the so-called ninja cops — police officers who recycle illegal drugs seized in operations.
Sen. Christopher Lawrence “Bong” Go announced this on Saturday, Sept. 28, in Balangiga, where he was the guest of honor during the 118th anniversary of the massacre there by US Army troops of civilians in 1901, during the Philippine-American War.
Go said he himself had seen the list involving members of the Philippine National Police (PNP).
“Every Filipino has the right to know who these ninja cops are. Who knows they are just beside you,” he said in an interview.
These ninja cops recycle illegal drugs seized in their anti-illegal drug operations and sell them for their own profit.
Go said the President would first consult the intelligence community to revalidate the list before making the list public.
“When he returns from Russia, he has plans to read the names of all the ninja cops. He’s just validating the list. We call it cross-validation,” Go said in Filipino. “He just wants to be very sure. He’s asking the intelligence community who really the ninja cops are.”
Last Sept. 19, Baguio City Mayor Benjamin Magalong, former chief of the PNP Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG), revealed in a Senate executive session the names of the ninja cops.
Magalong added that a former police official of a Central Luzon province was relieved over drug links.
It’s unclear if PNP chief Director General Oscar Albayalde is included in the list, which allegedly includes a high-ranking officer.
Albayalde was acting police director of Pampanga and relieved due to command responsibility for an irregular anti-illegal drug operation in the province in November 2014.
Albayalde had defended himself from insinuations, calling it part of “internal politics.”
Go said Albayalde continued to enjoy the trust of President Duterte.
The senator said he saw the list but declined to say if Albayalde was among them.
/atm