Magalong says cops sending him messages, thanking him for ‘standing for the truth’
MANILA, Philippines – After hurling accusations against no less than the top police official of the land, former Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) director Benjamin Magalong Jr. said Thursday he has been receiving text messages from police officers thanking him for “standing for the truth.”
Shortly after the intense seven-hour hearing of the Senate, Magalong, now the Baguio City mayor, said he actually “feels good” for spilling the beans on the irregular anti-drug operation in Pampanga in 2013, when Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Gen. Oscar Albayalde was director of the Pampanga provincial police.
“Ang dami kong text messages galing sa kapulisan, officers and men, and they are saying na: ‘Sir, maraming salamat. Maraming maraming salamat at ikaw ang nakikipaglaban [para] sa amin,’” he said in an interview with reporters.
(I have been receiving a lot of messages from police officers, and they are saying: “Sir, thank you very much for fighting for us.)
He then read before the media one of the text messages he said he received from a police superintendent, whose identity he did not disclose.
“Thank you, Sir, for standing and speaking up for the truth. We are carefully listening to all the resource persons’ testimonies, and honestly, Sir, we are really demoralized how they are trying to justify their unscrupulous and irregular actions back in that November 2013 buy-bust operation. Hindi naman po kami tanga sir and very obvious po na ginagawa nang sacrificial lamb si Police Maj. Baloyo et. al. [We are not stupid and it’s very obvious they are making Police Maj. Baloyo et.al. the sacrificial lambs],” the text message read.
The police officer was referring to Rodney Raymundo Louie Baloyo, now a police colonel, who led the said anti-drug operation in 2013 and were among those later charged for grave misconduct and was demoted by one rank.
“Nakakahiya po tayo sa [We are a disgrace to the] PNP if they will just believe the lies and obvious cover-ups,” the text message further read.
Asked if he will further help in unveiling other supposed secrets in the police force, Magalong, who had admitted receiving threats to his life, said his role in fighting for the truth is already done.
“I fought for them. I fought for the PNP. I fought for the truth. I fought for what is right. Sa tingin ko meron naman tayong [I think we have] young leaders sa [in the] PNP who should now take over and fight for the truth and fight for what is right,” he said.
He said he also does not engage in character assasination against anyone and that he just focuses on the issue at hand.
The former CIDG director then added he is not personally taking the issue with Albayalde, but added the latter had the choice on what he should have done back in 2013.
“You have your choice. You do the right thing or you don’t do anything. Unfortunately, the choice he made brought us here,” he said. /jpv
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