Slain retired policeman linked to over 10 ‘ninja cops’ — PNP
MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine National Police – Integrity Monitoring and Enforcement Group (PNP-IMEG) is looking at more than 10 police officers linked to a retired policeman killed during a buy-bust operation in Quezon City on Monday.
PNP-IMEG spokesperson Maj. Robert Reyes told reporters that the unit is currently tracking police officers acquainted with the illegal activities of retired Cpl. Tirso Agustin Lactaotao, a former intelligence operative at the Rizal Provincial Police Office.
“May mga ibang unit na nagse-savings, siya (Lactaotao) naman ‘yung nagdidistribute. ‘Yung iba hindi sila mismo ang nagpo-front na sila mismo ‘yung nagdidistribute kasi meron silang taga-distribute,” he said in an interview.
(Other units save [drugs], and he is the one who distributes. Others don’t distribute because they have a distributor.)
Reyes said some of these police officers are assigned in Metro Manila, Calabarzon, and Central Luzon.
IMEG, the unit tasked to run after scalawag personnel of the PNP, is currently conducting surveillance on officers identified to be linked to the slain suspect, who had availed of optional retirement only in November.
Their operations, said Reyes, are not organized. He explained these erring officers are just aware of each other’s illegal acts and even occasionally asks who among them will “dispose” recycled drugs.
“Magkakakilala na mayroong pangdispose so ‘yun, nagtatanungan sila (They know each other and have drugs to dispose so they ask each other),” he said.
With the death of Lactaotao, these officers may minimize their illegal activities to avoid being netted by IMEG, said Reyes.
Reyes said the operation launched against Lactaotao is part of the crackdown against ninja cops, or police officers involved in recycling seized drugs, initiated by Col. Ronald Lee when he became director of IMEG in October.
