Sotto: Expect something explosive as new evidence, witnesses appear vs ‘ninja cops’
MANILA, Philippines—Senate President Vicente Sotto III expects “explosive” developments when the Senate resumes its investigation on the recycling of seized illegal drugs on Wednesday.
“I don’t know if I’m at liberty to tell you… that is really something explosive again,” Sotto said Tuesday in a press briefing at the Manila Hotel.
Asked to provide more details, the Senate leader said there will be new pieces of evidence and a couple of new witnesses on the next Senate hearing.
“I think there will be new evidences and one or two witnesses. New evidences for sure because I signed about nine subpoenas last night,” he said.
The Senate blue ribbon and justice committees are set to resume the joint hearing on Wednesday at 10 a.m.
The Senate started looking into the early release of heinous crime convicts due to good conduct time allowance, which witnesses said is being given with a price by corrupt Bureau of Correction officials.
Other fraudulent schemes in the BuCor were also unearthed, prompting lawmakers to invite former PNP-CIDG chief and now Baguio City Mayor Benjamin Magalong.
Magalong later accused Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Gen. Oscar Albayalde of protecting his former subordinaes in the Pampanga PNP following a questionable anti-drug operation. The Pampanga policemen were accused of allegedly “mishandling” more than a hundred kilo of shabu seized during an anti-drug sting in 2013. /jpv
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