Albayalde: ‘Ungentlemanly’ for Magalong to ‘put words into mouth of somebody else’

PNP chief Gen. Oscar Albayalde and former PNP-CIDG chief and Baguio City Mayor Benjamin Magalong Jr. INQUIRER FILE PHOTOS

MANILA, Philippines — How Baguio City Mayor Benjamin Magalong “put words into the mouth of somebody else” was “ungentlemanly” and unstatesmanlike, Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Gen. Oscar Albayalde said Tuesday.

“Of course, tingnan n’yo naman (look), he is putting words into the mouth of somebody else. I think this is very ungentlemanly of him and very (unstatesmanlike) of somebody who is occupying a position in the government,” Albayalde said of Magalong, a former PNP-Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) chief, in an ambush interview.

Magalong earlier alleged that Albayalde intervened in the case of his former men who were accused of making millions off of seized illegal drugs from an operation in Pampanga in November 2013.

Albayalde, however, denied Magalong’s allegation saying he does not know the motive behind the latter bringing up the issue after six years especially when those cops involved in the said operation were already dismissed.

Asked whether they share a bad history, Albayalde said he was not sure about Magalong and brought up how the latter asked him for help back then.

“Hindi ko alam sa kanya, baka alam mo na may mga taong frustrated in a position probably and he knows that he is the most deserving person. I really don’t know, I really don’t know,” Albayalde said.

(I don’t know with him but maybe there are people who are frustrated in a position and he knows that he is the most deserving person. I really don’t know, I really don’t know.)

“As I’ve said, there was even once upon a time in his life na nanghingi pa ng tulong ‘yan sa akin. Nung way back na siya ay floating from 2006 to 2010. At one time dun nakapag hingi pa sya ng tulong sa akin, but of course siguro, selective memory ‘yan,” he added.

(As I’ve said, there was even once upon a time in his life where he asked me for help. Back when he was floating from 2006 to 2010. At one time, he was able to ask me for help, but of course, maybe there is selective memory.) /kga