Cops in ‘tanim shabu’ CCTV footage relieved of duties
Chief Supt. Oscar Albayalde, head of the NCRPO (Photo from the Philippine Daily Inquirer)
The police officers who were caught on video allegedly planting drugs on a raid in an office had been relieved of their duties, Director Oscar Albayalde, chief of the National Capital Region Police Office, said on Friday.
“The chief PNP has already ordered the investigation at na-relieve na iyong mga taong iyon,” Albayalde said.
(“The chief of the PNP has already ordered the investigation and those people have been relieved.”)
The officers were put under the custody of the Personnel Holding Administrative Unit (PHAU).
Albayalde refused to say which city the relieved cops were from. But he confirmed that they were members of Special Operations Task Group (STOG).
He hinted that the number of cops relieved wouldn’t be under 10, and the cop with highest rank is a chief inspector.
Sen. Panfilo Lacson showed the CCTV footage during a Senate hearing on Thursday to make a point that the kidnap-slay of South Korean businessman Jee Ick-joo was not an “isolated case” and that there were indeed alleged “excesses” being committed by some police officers.
READ: Lacson shows video of police’s other ‘excesses’
“May mauuna rito. May magpa-plant ng mga shabu and then papasok yung raiding party. These are police officers. And then ninakawan pa ng equivalent to P7 million and then nag cough up ng another P2 million,” Lacson said before showing the video before the committee.
(“There’s an advance party in this case. Somebody would plant the shabu and then the raiding party would arrive. These are police officers. They would rob people of P7 million and then ask them to cough up another P2 million.”)
According to a Radyo Inquirer report, after the hearing, Director General “Bato” dela Rosa, chief of the Philippine National Police (PNP), asked for a copy of the video so the agency can impose the appropriate action on the cops involved.
The video showed that the raid took place on October 26, 2016. /ATM
