MANILA, Philippines — Sen. Franklin Drilon backed on Monday the Senate panel report on the so-called ninja cops, which recommended the filing of drug and administrative charges against resigned Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Gen. Oscar Albayalde and 13 others police officers.
“I agree with the report recommending graft and drug charges against Gen. Albayalde and the ninja cops,” he said in a statement.
“The Senate investigation yielded substantial evidence to support at least a probable cause or prima facie case to warrant the filing of a criminal case vs Albayalde et al,” he added.
Albayalde has been accused of protecting his men, who allegedly pilfered and resold millions of pesos worth of illegal drugs confiscated from a controversial buy-bust operation back in 2013 in Mexico, Pampanga.
“Until I see the result, I will reserve comment/judgment on PNP’s seriousness in pursuing the case,” Drilon went on.
“The proof of the pudding is in the eating, as they say,” he added.
The PNP Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) has already filed a complaint against Albayalde and the 13 Pampanga cops in connection with the questionable operation.
READ: PNP-CIDG files criminal charges vs Albayalde
Albaylde, who has denied allegations that he intervened in the dismissal of his men, welcomed the complaint.
“At least I will be accorded due process now,” he said in a text message.
But for Drilon, he said the same principle should have also been applied to slain drug suspects.
“I agree with the PNP’s assertion that Gen Albayalde et al are presumed innocent until proven guilty,” the senator said. “How I wish, however, that the same principle was applied to the more than 5,000 tokhang victims.”
The administration’s drug war has received international and local rebuke for allegedly only going after small-time drug peddlers.
President Rodrigo Duterte, who launched the drug war when he came into power in 2016, has gained international condemnation for his crackdown on illegal drugs which has so far killed at least 5,000, mostly poor people, nationwide.
/atm