MANILA, Philippines – Former Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Gen. Oscar Albayalde’s lawyer, former solicitor general Estelito Mendoza on Monday lamented the release of the Senate panel report on “ninja cops” mess and stressed that it was not fair to his client who did not have the chance to look at it.
While he recognized Senate Blue Ribbon and Justice committees chairman Sen. Richard Gordon’s effort to put the report together, Mendoza said it was “lamentable” to go on air with a report condemning Albayalde.
“I think Senator Gordon put a lot of effort on that. He is to be commended by that. I understand the report has specific recommendations,” Mendoza said in an interview on CNN Philippines on Monday.
“But what is lamentable about what they did is that he went on the air on a Friday afternoon with a report condemning General Albayalde. That is not fair because General Albayalde did not even have an opportunity to see or to look at the report,” he added.
Gordon released last Friday the first part of the committee report on the alleged recycling of illegal drugs by rogue police officers or “ninja cops.”
Albayalde was accused of intervening in the dismissal proceedings of his subordinates who conducted a questionable anti-drug operation when he was still the provincial director of Pampanga in 2013.
READ: ‘A game-changing day:’ Gordon releases Senate panel report on ‘ninja cops’ probe
The Senate joint panel has recommended the filing of drug charges against Albayalde over the controversial anti-drug operation. /gsg
READ: Senate panel recommends filing of drug charges vs Albayalde