Albayalde stays firm: I didn’t ask Aquino to not dismiss Pampanga cops 

MANILA, Philippines – Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Gen. Oscar Albayalde on Thursday stood firm on his word that he did not ask Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) Director General Aaron Aquino to not implement the dismissal order against the 13 policemen involved in the controversial 2013 anti-drug operation in Pampanga.

In an ambush interview with reporters following a Senate public hearing, Albayalde was asked point-blank: “Did you tell him (Aquino) not to implement the dismissal order?”

To which the beset top cop replied: “No, of course not.”

The Senate has been conducting its probe on the implementation of the Good Conduct Time Allowance Law but has already branched out to other anomalous schemes purportedly involving so-called “ninja cops” or corrupt policemen, including the pilferage and recycling of confiscated illegal drugs.

Albayalde was Pampanga police director when the illegal buy-bust operation was conducted by his men in Mexico town in 2013. He was chief of the National Capital Region Police Office when he phoned Aquino, then Central Luzon police chief, on the case in 2016.

During Thursday’s hearing at the Senate, Aquino retracted his earlier statement that Albayalde only asked for the status of the case involving the 13 police officers. According to Aquino, Albayalde had asked him not to implement the dismissal order against the policemen during that phone call.

READ: Aquino recants; pins Albayalde on case vs Pampanga cops

Albayalde, however, maintained he could not have had influenced Aquino, who was his upperclassman at the Philippine Military Academy, regarding the enforcement of the order against the Pampanga policemen. He then said he does not want to argue about what the phone call was about anymore.

“It’s really up to him. Nag-usap daw sila nina Senator Gordon. I really do not know kung anong napag-usapan, pero seemingly they have to coordinate first bago siya magpalit ng statement niya,” he said.

(It’s really up to him. Reportedly, they have talked with Senator Gordon. I really do not know what they talked about, but seemingly they have to coordinate first before he changes his statement.)

“But what I appreciate there is ‘yung sinabi niya na nung tinanong siya kung pinagbigyan mo ba, sinabi niya hindi (what he said when he was asked if he gave in [to the request], he said he did not). In fact, he threw them to Mindanao,” Alabayalde pointed out. /kga