MANILA, Philippines – The Philippine National Police (PNP) vowed on Thursday it will refile the criminal and administrative cases against 13 police officers who were involved in the controversial anti-drug operation in Pampanga in 2013 now being investigated by the Senate.
During the Senate hearing, Senator Richard Gordon, chair of the justice committee that leads the inquiry, was asking police Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) director Maj. Gen. Amador Corpus of his basis for demoting the policemen by one rank instead of implementing the original dismissal order.
Gordon asked Corpus, who was then Central Luzon Police chief in 2017 when the officers were demoted, if he would now consider filing charges against the police officers “now that the cat is coming out of the bag” in the course of the investigation.
“So you will conduct the investigation and file the case?” Gordon asked the CIDG chief, who answered: “Upon instruction of the PNP chief, sir.”
PNP chief Gen. Oscar Albayalde, who was also in the hearing, then said: “We will, sir. We will.”
Corpus then explained he thought Gordon was referring to the administrative case against the policemen.
But according to Albayalde, it would be better if the Internal Affairs Service of the PNP will be the one to investigate and file the administrative case against the police officers to eliminate “partiality.”
This is a development to the earlier position of Albayalde, who suggested waiting for the review of the Department of Justice on the dismissal of the grave misconduct case against the 13 policemen. /jpv
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