Gamboa assures complainants related to Santillan: I will abide by the judicial process

MANILA, Philippines — Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Gen. Archie Gamboa has assured parties who filed a grave misconduct complaint against him in relation to the Richard Santillan slay case that he will abide by the judicial process.

According to Gamboa, who is a lawyer himself, he respects the right of Santillan’s widow, Jeanette Santillan and his ex-employer, former Biliran Rep. Glenn Chong, to file the complaints — adding that it comes with his job as a police official.

Earlier, Chong and Santillan filed several complaints filed against Gamboa for allegedly concealing and tampering evidence vital in the investigation of the case.

“I respect the right of the widow of the late Richard Santillan and that of his former employer to file a complaint before the Ombudsman against myself as former Deputy Chief for Administration,” Gamboa said in a statement.

“I take this as part of the risks that come with the job,” he added.  “As a lawyer, I fully recognize the supremacy of the courts and will abide by and submit to the judicial process.”

Santillan was killed during a police operation in Cainta in 2018, but Chong claimed that the body of his slain aide bore torture marks.  But the PNP, then under the leadership of former police chief Gen. Oscar Albayalde, said that a shootout happened instead.

Despite the assertion, Albayalde assured that an investigation would be conducted.  The National Bureau of Investigation also launched its own probe, where 21 police officers — including chiefs of the Police Regional Office 4-A, Rizal Police Provincial Office, and Cainta Police Station — were charged.

Gamboa was then the PNP’s Deputy Chief for Administration.  After Albayalde stepped down in October 2019 due to drug operation-related controversies that a Senate panel unveiled, Gamboa took charge as the officer-in-charge.  He was eventually named PNP chief in January 2020.

Despite the issues, Gamboa is confident that he did nothing wrong and that the truth would be on his side.

“I will face my accusers confident that the truth will vindicate me,” Gamboa said. [ac]