Bato relieves Antipolo cops tagged in drug trade

PNP chief Ronald dela Rosa, Sen. Lyn Rillon/PDI

Philippine National Police Director General Ronald “Bato” De la Rosa has relieved several policemen in Antipolo who were allegedly involved in illegal drugs as well as in the salvage killing of a police “asset.”

“Effective today, i-relieve ko ‘yang mga tao na ‘yan; ilagay ko sa admin holding unit at pa-conduct ko ng investigation ang Internal Affairs Service (Effective today, those cops are relieved from their positions; I’ll put them in the admin holding unit and have the Internal Affairs Service conduct an investigation),” De la Rosa said after attending a Senate hearing on Monday.

“Kung ma po-prove lahat ng pulis dyan sa Antipolo, buong police commander tanggalin ko lahat (If proven to be true, all police commanders will be removed),” he said.

The PNP chief was referring to policemen in Antipolo tagged as drug pushers and users by witness Mary Rose Aquino, who testified at the hearing of the Senate committee on justice and human rights on the spate of killings in the country.

READ: Witness says Antipolo cops involved in illegal drug trade
Aquino alleged that certain policemen had been delivering illegal drugs to her father, Rodelio Campos, a police asset, supposedly for repacking. She also claimed to have witnessed these policemen having a “pot session” in their house.

The witness identified some of the policemen during the hearing as certain “Torres,” “Rabe,” and “Ong.”

Campos and wife, Rosalie, were found dead in separate locations in Antipolo and Morong, Rizal after receiving a call from Torres and Rabe last June 20. They hurriedly left the house supposedly to remit drug money to the police but the two did not return since then. JE/rga

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