MANILA, Philippines — Baguio City Mayor Benjamin Magalong has slammed what he calls “selective cleansing” within the ranks of the Philippine National Police (PNP).
During Tuesday’s hearing on so-called “ninja cops” – or policemen who pilfer and sell illegal drugs confiscated during legitimate anti-drug operations at the Senate, Magalong criticized the seeming kid-glove treatment of police officers involved in the illegal buy-bust operation in Mexico, Pampanga in November 2013.
Magalong investigated the illegal anti-drug operation when he was chief of the PNP-Criminal Investigation and Detection Group and found that the 13 Pampanga policemen “recycled” the seized drugs.
The 13 policemen, who were under the leadership of then Pampanga police director Oscar Albayalde – now the chief of PNP, were eventually found guilty of grave misconduct for failing to account all confiscated evidence from the illegal buy-bust operation. The police officers were initially ordered dismissed but were only demoted by one rank after filing a motion for reconsideration in March 2016.
Magalong said the policemen nevertheless managed to still clinch high positions in PNP.
“Before we launch a very extensive and aggressive campaign, maglinis muna tayo ng bakuran (we should first clean our own backyard). So, I’m just wondering, in this particular case, naging selective tayo sa paglinis sa bakuran (we became selective in cleaning up our own backyard),” Magalong pointed out.
“Looking at the gravity of the offense, bakit pinayagan na ganon na lang (why was it allowed just like that)? Are we really determined to really come up with a really aggressive campaign against drugs ‘pag ganito naman na selective tayo sa mga tao natin (when we are selective on our people like this)?” he added.
Magalong likewise questioned how Albayalde did not have any knowledge about the misconduct of his men in the Pampanga police, stressing he was supposed to know the steps in the operation as it is the standard operating procedure (SOP).
Police officers involved in the illegal buy-bust operation allegedly did not follow the rules of engagement, raising suspicions that they did not properly declare the amount of illegal drugs they seized during the sting.
“‘Pag may ganyan na high profile operation, nakatutok ka diyan and blow-by-blow account, pinapadalhan ka, namomonitor mo. I’m just wondering why hindi nalaman ni General Albayalde kung ‘yung nangyayari sa loob (When there is such a high profile operation, a police chief should be closely monitoring it and police officers should give blow-by-blow account. I’m just wondering why General Albayalde did not know what was happening,” Magalong said.
“Binulag ba siya ng mga tao niya? The SOP is almost every 30 minutes, one hour lalo na ‘pag may nakuha na high profile, nagfe-feedback na ‘yung kanyang team leader doon (Did his men blind him? The SOP is that every 30 minutes or one hour, especially if a high profile suspect was caught, the team leader sends feedback),” he also said.
Magalong revealed the names of alleged “ninja cops” in the 2013 anti-drug operation in Mexico, Pampanga, during Tuesday’s Senate hearing. Those names were previously disclosed by Magalong during an earlier executive session with senators.
READ: Magalong drops Albayalde’s name in ‘ninja cops’ probe
/kga