PNP says dragging Albayalde in drug recycling an attempt to tarnish his name

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine National Police (PNP) said Thursday that dragging its chief, Gen. Oscar Albayalde on the “ninja cops” issue could be a mere attempt to tarnish his name.

“Even the chief of the PNP has denied all these insinuations and allegations against him, and he said these are issues in the past and it seems that they are coming out again, and [these are] maybe an attempt to tarnish his name,” PNP spokesperson Brig. Gen. Bernard Banac said in an interview with ABS-CBN News Channel.

There have been speculations that Albayalde was among those mentioned as one of the police officials allegedly involved in illegal drugs in a Senate executive session with former Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) director Benjamin Magalong on September 19.

READ: Magalong to name ‘Agaw-Bato’ cops in executive session with senator

“He (Albayalde) denied his involvement in all these and as far as he is concerned, he has acted upon these allegations in the past already, and no evidence has been found against him in the past,” said Banac.

Banac was referring to the relief of Albayalde as Pampanga police director during the preliminary investigation on a drug case involving police officers in the province in 2014.

Amid the allegation, Banac assured the public that the PNP is closely monitoring 22 police officers, of which the highest rank is a police major, in its watchlist of “ninja cops” or police officers involved in recycling illegal drugs seized in operations.

“We are doing a case build up against them so that when the proper time comes and there is evidence against them, then we can make effect an arrest,” he said.  /muf