PNP chief Gen. Oscar Albayalde speaks during the Senate inquiry into the so-called “ninja cops” on October 9, 2019. INQUIRER.net PHOTO / CATHY MIRANDA
Philippine National Police chief Gen. Oscar Albayalde now blames politics for his troubles.
At first, he blamed allegations that he had links to so-called ninja cops—corrupt policemen who pilfer and sell illegal drugs seized during antinarcotics operations—on the tight race for the top post at the PNP, from which he would retire next month.
He, however, never explained why it was he and not the leading candidate for PNP chief who was being targeted.
Then on Thursday, he accused the witnesses in a Senate inquiry into the ninja cop racket of ganging up on him and pointed out that they all worked for the administration of President Benigno Aquino III.
Officials in Aquino PNP
“All those police officials ganging up on me have ill motives against me and obviously all worked with the previous administration,” Albayalde said in a statement.
He was referring to Baguio City Mayor Benjamin Magalong, who served as police director for criminal investigation in the Aquino administration; Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency chief Aaron Aquino, who was Central Luzon police director under Aquino; and retired Police Brig. Gen. Rudy Lacadin, who was Magalong’s deputy in the Aquino PNP.
But Albayalde, too, served in the Aquino administration. He was police director of Pampanga province from April 2013 to March 2014.
He also served as chief of the Central Luzon police intelligence division and police community relations office, and was executive officer of the PNP directorate for plans before he was tapped to head the National Capital Region Police Office in July 2016.
Only a little
Magalong has testified in the Senate blue ribbon committee inquiry that Albayalde missed red flags in a drug operation carried out by his officers in Pampanga in 2013 and that he phoned Aquino to ask that an order for the dismissal of his men not be implemented.
Aquino, also testifying at the inquiry presided over by Sen. Richard Gordon, has confirmed the phone call.
Lacadin appeared at the hearing on Wednesday and said Albayalde had told him in a phone call that he got only a little from the drug haul that was pilfered by his officers in Pampanga.
In his statement on Thursday, Albayalde denied that he called up Lacadin and said the retired police official was never his friend.
“Lacadin has a lot of explaining to do and he will have his day in court,” Albayalde said, indicating he was taking legal action against Lacadin.
Brig. Gen. Bernard Banac, the PNP spokesperson, denied rumors that Albayalde had resigned.
Banac quoted Albayalde as saying that he was leaving his fate to President Duterte.
In Malacañang, presidential spokesperson Salvador Panelo said Mr. Duterte had not commented on Lacadin’s testimony against Albayalde.
Panelo reiterated that the President would wait for the findings of the Senate’s and the Department of the Interior and Local Government’s investigations of the ninja cop racket before deciding what to do with Albayade. —WITH A REPORT FROM JULIE M. AURELIO