MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine National Police (PNP) is not demoralized but is “affected’ by the “ninja cops” tag on some of its members.
PNP chief Gen. Oscar Albayalde said this after attending on Tuesday a Senate hearing on the alleged involvement of some police officers in the illegal drug trade.
“(I’d) say na hindi naman siguro (demoralized) but of course we’re affected,” Albayalde told reporters when asked about the morale of the PNP.
“You could just imagine that we’re doing everything already. Prenesent ko na lahat-lahat yun naging proyekto natin, accomplishments, including yung mga tinatawag nilang paulit-ulit na ninja cops.”
[You could just imagine that we’re doing everything already. I already presented everything — our projects and accomplishments, including what this repeatedly called ‘ninja cops.’]
“Again, these ninja cops did not thrive during our time…It did not thrive during our time, not even during the time of Senator Bato,” he stressed, referring to Senator Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa.
Dela Rosa previously headed the PNP before he became Bureau of Corrections chief. In May 2016, he won his first in the Senate.
Albayalde was also clueless as to why Baguio City Mayor Benjamin Magalong, the former head of PNP’s Criminal Investigation and Detection Group, was making allegations against him.
At the hearing of the Senate committee on justice, Magalong revived the 2013 drug charges against several men involved in the anti-drug operation in Pampanga.
While his men were being investigated, Albayalde was relieved from his post as then director of Pampanga Provincial Police Office.
At one point during the hearing, Magalong claimed getting information that the provincial director, apparently referring to Albayalde was among the policemen who suddenly had a new sports utility vehicle after the anti-drug operation.
Albayalde immediately denied the allegation.
Asked again what could be Magalong’s motives in making such allegations against him, the PNP chief said, “Hindi ko alam.” [I do not know]
“Probably it involves my retirement or it could be kung sinong mga gustong mag [those are vying to be the] next chief PNP after me” he added. /muf