Manhunt operations vs Acierto under way

The Philippine National Police has deployed tracker teams to pursue a former police official implicated in the alleged smuggling of P11 billion worth of “shabu” (crystal meth).

Police Gen. Oscar Albayalde, the PNP chief, told reporters on Thursday that manhunt operations were under way for former Police Col. Eduardo Acierto, who recently resurfaced to link President Duterte’s former economic adviser Michael Yang and his compatriot Allan Lim to the illegal drug trade.

“Anywhere he may go, we go and look for him. We have tracker teams from the [Criminal Investigation and Detection Group],” Albayalde said, adding that the PNP was also pursuing Acierto’s coaccused who are subjects of arrest warrants.

The PNP chief said the tracker teams were coordinating with the Bureau of Immigration to make sure Acierto had not fled abroad, and that the Firearms and Explosives Division was cancelling all licenses issued for the fugitive’s personal firearms.