Senate of the Philippines | INQUIRER FILES
MANILA, Philippines — An inquiry into the involvement of high-ranking Philippine National Police (PNP) officials in *allegedly covering up the arrest of a now-dismissed officer who yielded P6.7-billion worth of shabu last year has been sought in the Senate.
Sen. Ramon Revilla Jr., chair of the upper chamber’s public works panel, filed Resolution No. 564 on Tuesday, urging the appropriate Senate committee to conduct a probe on the purported link of top PNP officers in the massive drug haul.
The probe, he said, aims to “[lay] down a system that would not only prevent circumvention of rules in order to evade liability but would likewise ensure full accountability of the personnel involved.”
“Nakalulungkot na tila may mga bulok pa rin sa organisasyon na sumisira dito kaya’t kailangan mausisa nang hindi na pamarisan,” Revilla said in a statement on Wednesday.
(Sadly, there seem to be rotten officers who destroy the organization, which is why there’s a need to investigate this so as not to set a precedent.)
Citing evidence gathered by the National Police Commission, Interior Secretary Benjamin Abalos Jr. on Monday disclosed that at least two police generals and eight other officers were suspended for allegedly playing a hand in the “massive attempt to cover up” the arrest of then M/Sgt. Rodolfo Mayo Jr.
READ: DILG chief unveils ‘massive attempt to cover up’ dismissed cop Mayo’s arrest
Last October, Mayo was arrested during an anti-drug raid in Tondo, Manila after he yielded P6/7 billion worth of shabu.
Revilla hailed Abalos for his prompt action but stressed the need to immediately hold those responsible for the alleged cover-up to account to prevent it from happening again.
“Ito ang dahilan sa likod ng paghiling natin sa Senado na tingnan at suriin ang pangyayaring ito. Para tumulong na siguruhing mananagot sa batas ang mga halang ang kaluluwa sa likod ng kalapastangan na ito,” the senator added.
(This is the reason why we’re calling on the Senate to look into and scrutinize the incident – to help ensure that the evil people behind this heinous act are held accountable before the law.)
The Senate panel inquiry, according to Revilla’s resolution, is “to make certain accountability and to provide a third person account on the matter.”
Aside from seeking accountability from the PNP officers supposedly involved in the case, he said the probe likewise “seeks to prevent the occurrence of the same lawlessness in the future.”
“Instances such as this, in which government personnel involved commit detestable acts that serve to taint the integrity of the agency they serve, must be thwarted. The Senate must therefore step in and ensure that the trust and confidence reposed unto them [are] not abused,” he added.
Now-retired PNP deputy chief for operations Lt. Gen. Benjamin Santos Jr. and PNP Drug Enforcement Group director Brig. Gen Narciso Domingo are among the ten police officers who Abalos claims are linked to the alleged cover-up.
Abalos said they have until the end of the week to file for a leave of absence while the investigation is ongoing, or they will be suspended.
Despite heeding the Abalos’ call to take a leave of absence, Domingo has since denied attempts to cover up the arrest of Mayo as he called the accusations “unfair on the part of those of us who just did our mandate and our part [on the campaign] against illegal drugs.”