MANILA, Philippines — How many police generals have their names included in the drugs watchlist of President Rodrigo Duterte? It’s not just one but two—and both are assigned to offices inside Camp Crame, the headquarters of the Philippine National Police (PNP).
This was revealed to INQUIRER.net on Thursday by a source privy to the list, which contains the names of 357 alleged “narco-cops” that are on the President’s list.
The two generals have earlier been sacked from their posts along with the other police officers for alleged links to the drug trade. One of them had requested early retirement together with 14 more police officers.
READ: General in drugs watchlist holds office in Camp Crame
Both generals were accused of protecting drug lords, but according to the source, the generals appear to now have been cleared of involvement in drugs since they were even promoted to higher ranks in recent years.
He noted that a background check is done first before a police officer can be promoted and that the police officials in the narco-list seemed to have been only “implicated” in the drug trade.
The source likewise said that there appear to be some loopholes in the list given as it includes the names of other police officials who were promoted to higher ranks and positions despite their supposed involvement in the illegal drug trade.
According to the source, the promotions of these police officials to higher ranks show that “there was really a problem” in the list.
Interestingly, Lt. Col. Jovie Espenido, who became controversial for the deaths of then-Mayor Rolando Espinosa of Albuera, Leyte, during the service of search warrants in his detention cell in 2016, and then-Mayor Reynaldo Parojinog of Ozamiz City in a drug raid in 2017, was also reported to be in the watchlist.
Espenido reaped praises from the President for his drive against illegal drugs following the deaths of the two mayors tagged as “narco-politicians.”
READ: ‘Espenido included in drugs watchlist’
PNP chief Gen. Archie Gamboa, in an interview with reporters on Thursday, refused to confirm Espenido’s inclusion in the President’s narco-list and asked that the ongoing validation on those accused be respected.
Gamboa said the validation will run for a month, after which, recommendations on the police officers who were investigated, will be finalized.
Before the deadline lapses, Gamboa also said those officers under probe can avail of early retirement “if they don’t want to embarrass themselves” and if they know they are guilty, which means they will skirt administrative charges as the PNP will then lose jurisdiction over them.
Gamboa however assured that criminal charges will still be filed against those officers who have availed of early retirement should investigators gather enough evidence against them.