Albayalde orders return of all 15 police escorts of PDEA chief

MANILA, Philippines — Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Gen. Oscar Albayalde revealed on Monday he had ordered the temporary return of all 15 police escorts of Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) Director General Aaron Aquino.

Albayalde said he ordered Central Luzon police chief Brig. Gen. Joel Napoleon Coronel to return the previously recalled security detail of the PDEA chief, who claimed there was a plot to harm his family before admitting that Albayalde phoned him in 2016 to not implement the dismissal order against 13 Pampanga policemen. Aquino was then director of the Central Luzon police when the phone call was made.

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

According to Albayalde, he made the directive over the weekend so that the threat to Aquino’s family will not be an issue against the PNP.

“Kasi nung sinabi niya na his life and his family’s life are under threat, so para mawala itong pinag-aaway kami na ganito at seemingly parang kami ang nagte-threat, I directed RD, PRO3 (Regional Director, Police Regional Office 3) to bring back all security personnel of DG Aquino para mawala ‘yung ganyan,” he said in an interview with reporters after the turnover of supervision of the National Police Training Institute from the Philippine Public Safety College to the PNP at Camp Vicente Lim in Calamba, Laguna.

(When he said his and his family’s lives are under threat, to eliminate the fact that it seems we were being forced to clash and the speculation that we are the ones who caused the threat, I directed the RD of PRO3 to bring back all security personnel of DG Aquino.)

“In fairness and in the name of justice and in love of country na palagi nating sinasabi (that we always say), and for being a professional soldier like me and the PNP, binalik ko na po lahat, pinabalik ko lahat ng request ni DG Aquino, lahat ng security niya (I ordered that all of the security personnel requested by DG Aquino be returned),” he added.

Albayalde earlier explained that the security escorts of Aquino were recalled as the Central Luzon police needed additional personnel for the Southeast Asian Games in Tarlac from November 30 to December 11.

He earlier ordered the return of at least four police escorts of the PDEA chief before finally ordering the redeployment of all 15 officers over the weekend.

READ: PDEA chief gets back police escorts

As for Baguio City Mayor and former Criminal Investigation and Detection Group director Benjamin Magalong Jr. who also claimed to receive death threats, Albayalde said that as a mayor, Magalong has full control and supervision of the Baguio City Police Office.

READ: Magalong says someone approached a hitman ‘to harm him’

He added Magalong can always write to him or to the PNP Police Security and Protection Group if he needs permanent security escorts.

“Entitled naman po siya [to have police escorts] and anybody else for that matter na may death threat sa kanilang buhay (He and anybody else who received death threats are entitled to having police escorts),” said Albayalde. /je