Albayalde believes Magalong ‘not a man of integrity’

Former CIDG chief and Baguio City Mayor Benjamin Magalong speaks during the Senate Blue Ribbon committee inquiry on “Ninja Cops” as PNP chief Gen. Oscar Albayalde looks at him on Tuesday, October 1, 2019. INQUIRER.net PHOTO / CATHY MIRANDA

MANILA, Philippines — Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Gen. Oscar Albayalde believes Baguio City Mayor and former Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) director Benjamin Magalong is not a man of integrity.

“Definitely not,” Albayalde bluntly said in an interview with ABS-CBN News Channel on Wednesday when asked if he believes Magalong is a man of integrity.

He answered in the negative when asked if his basis for saying this is Magalong’s allegation linking him to the irregular anti-drug operation in Pampanga in November 2013.

READ: Magalong drops Albayalde’s name in ‘ninja cops’ probe

“Even when he was in the active service, I am sure. And I am sure most of the people he worked with would probably say the same thing,” said Albayalde.

He added that he does not know if his being linked by Magalong to the “ninja cops” controversy  was “something personal” for the former CIDG director.

Asked what he thinks is Magalong’s motive in making the accusations against him, Albayalde said: “I really don’t know. I think this guy is trying to portray himself as a man of integrity. I really do not know what character he has.”

“This is all going there, to the projection of who you are. I think this is a battle of personality and character,” said Albayalde.

“You could probably talk to people outside the organization who this guy is,” he said in the interview. “Even when he was regional director of PRO-COR (Police Regional Office Cordillera). Probably you will see. You will probably see for yourself who this person is. I would not let it start from me.”

For the PNP chief, Magalong’s allegation that he had intervened in the dismissal of the 13 police officers involved in the 2013 operation when he was Pampanga police director is a “simple matter of perception.”

While Albayalde said he cannot speculate if Magalong has cohorts in dragging him to the issue, he said he cannot understand how a single person can start the whole controversy.

“What I cannot understand is how a single person can do this, especially now that you are a mayor when you are supposed to be a part of this government in the effort in ridding the nation of illegal drugs, where you are supposed to be a public servant, to serve the public, your constituents in particular, and not to destroy the campaign of the organization, not to destroy another organization,” said Albayalde. /muf