Drug 'recycling' by 'ninja cops'

Baguio City Mayor Benjamin Magalong hopes justice will be served to the victims of "ninja cops," pilice officers who allegedly steal seized drugs to sell them again.

Magalong, former director of the police Criminal Investigation and Detection Group, who testified at the Senate against former Philippine National Police Gen. Oscar  Albayalde hailed the former police chief’s indictment by the Justice department as “a positive development”, as he sees the importance that the Filipino people “are entitled to know what really transpired in Lake Shore, Pampanga in November 2013.” -- The STAR/Artemio Dumlao

President Rodrigo Duterte will leave the criminal liability of the 'ninja cops', or police officers who allegedly sold drugs that were seized in a police operation, to the Office of the Ombudsman, News5 reports.

Duterte on ninja cops: For your criminal liability, it belongs to the Ombudsman.

— News5 AKSYON (@News5AKSYON) October 28, 2019

The police Criminal Investigation and Detection Group last Monday filed a criminal complaint against former Philippine National Police chief Oscar Albayalde by including him in an amended complaint against 13 so-called “ninja cops” from a controversial 2013 Pampanga drug raid.

Albayalde was accused of violating Section 27, Article II of Comprehensive Dangerous Drug Act (misappropriation, misapplication or failure to account for seized drugs), Section 3 (a) and 3 (e) of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act, Article 171 (falsification by public officer) and Article 208 (negligence) of the Revised Penal Code.

The complaint was filed before the Department of Justice.

Former PNP chief Oscar Albayalde is included in the list of respondents in the complaint filed before the DOJ over the 2013 "ninja cops" scandal.

Former PNP Chief Oscar Albayalde was included in the list of respondents in the complaint filed before the DOJ. This is in line with the alleged multi-million peso illegal drugs raid by Ninja Cops, in 2013 in Pampanga.?@PhilippineStar? pic.twitter.com/nD4cH4saZE

— evelynzmacairan (@EZMacairan) October 21, 2019

The Philippine National Police places all key positions under probation for three months while all promotions are on hold as the agency undergoes an "internal cleansing on steroid."

"I have ordered the massive revamp beginning at the national headquarters down to the regional level. We expect fresh ideas, fresh enthusiasm and fresh resolve," PNP officer-in-charge Lt. Gen. Archie Gamboa announces in a media briefing Monday.

Sen. Richard Gordon says former PNP chief Oscar Albayalde, Major Rodney Baloyo IV Baloyo and the other alleged Pampanga "ninja cops" are guilty of malfeasance, misfeasance, and nonfeasance as he presents the report on the Senate blue ribbon committee's inquiry into the controversy.

Gordon says there was a "monumental cover-up" in the Nov. 2013 anti-drug raid in Mexico, Pampanga where rogue cops allegedly pilfered over 160 kilos of shabu seized from a suspected drug trafficker, who was later freed in exchange for P50 million @PhilippineStar

— Paolo S. Romero (@PaoloSRomero) October 18, 2019

Gordon: Albayalde, Baloyo and other people the group are guilty of malfeasance, misfeasance, and nonfeasance @PhilippineStar

— Paolo S. Romero (@PaoloSRomero) October 18, 2019

Police Gen. Oscar Albayalde's going on "non-duty status" does not let him off the hook yet, Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon stresses.

"His resignation ahead of his mandatory retirement, however, will not in any way clear him from his liablity, both administratively or criminally, in connection with the Pampanga ninja cops issue," he says.

"Albayalde’s continued defense, and his failure to condemn the acts, of Major Rodney Baloyo, and his men, in the face of the evidence indicated complicity to the criminal conduct of his men," Drilon also says.

PNP chief Oscar Albayalde has announced that he will step down ahead of his official retirement next month amid issues hounding his alleged involvement with ninja cops

"I have come to the decision to relinquish my post," he says as he leads the flag-raising ceremony today.

“I thank President Duterte for his trust and confidence and giving me the opportunity to lead the PNP and serve the Filipino people.”

— with Romina Cabrera

Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra says the Department of Justice will reopen the case of alleged "ninja cop" Major Rodney Baloyo IV in the light of new evidence and in the interest of justice.

"[T]he DOJ will reopen the case of Baloyo, et al. and will create a new panel of state prosecutors to conduct the reinvestigation. Both sides will be given ample opportunity to present additional evidence. We shall try to resolve in a month's time, considering that this automatic review has been pending since 2017," the DOJ says in a statement.

The controversy on "ninja cops" or police officers who pilfer confiscated drugs and sell them has involved Philippine National Police chief Oscar Albayalde as he was Baloyo’s superior at the time as Pampanga provincial police director.

The Senate blue ribbon committee is conducting a probe on the so-called "ninja cops."

President Rodrigo Duterte was referring to "PNP generals who have been accused to have protected the ninja cops," when he said at the Valdai Forum that there are two Philippine National Police generals still involved in the illegal drug trade, spokesperson Salvador Panelo says.

"He will wait for the recommendation of the DILG Secretary when he is finished with his internal investigation," Panelo also says. The Department of the Interior and Local Government will conduct its own investigation into the "ninja cops" when the Senate concludes its hearings on the issue.

Allegations that Police Gen. Oscar Albayalde may have tried to intervene in administrative cases filed against police officials he used to lead when he was Pampanga police chief contradict the government's hard line on drugs, rights group Karapatan says.

The police officers had initially been ordered dismissed over irregularities in a 2013 operation in Mexico, Pampanga but were demoted instead.
 
"The problems and anomalies just keep propping up, showing us that this drug war is indeed a bogus scheme against criminality. The real criminals are uniformed men who mastermind drug recycling, yet kill poor Filipinos," Karapatan says in a press release.

Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency chief Aaron Aquino admits before senators that Gen. Oscar Albayalde called him, in 2016 while he was director of Police Regional Office-3, about the status of cases against his former officers.

Albayalde was regional director of Central Luzon when police officers were charged administratively over irregularities in a drug buy-bust in Pampanga.

"At one time, I'm sure. Yes, sir. Yes, sir," Albayalde confirms, but also says that he was only following up the case and not trying to influence how the case would go.

Police officials invited to the Senate hearing on reforms of the penal system, which will also delve into allegations that "ninja cops" have sold seized illegal drugs.

Gen. Oscar Albayalde, Philippine National Police chief, says in his opening statement that he has been implementing the "internal cleansing" of the PNP.

Albayalde asks senators to make public the matters discussed in an executive session "in the interest of fairplay and impartiality." 

Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon calls on the Department of Foreign Affairs to cancel the passport of Guia Gomez Castro, a former barangay official in Manila's Sampaloc district who has been tagged as a supposed "drug queen."

Castro, former barangay chairperson of Barangay 484 Zone 48 has been confirmed to have left the country on September 21 for Bangkok, Thailand.

This was days before her name was made public as in cahoots with 16 police officers in "recycling" seized drugs for sale ont the street. Nine of these lawmen have been killed by motorcycle-riding gunmen.

"It appears that Mrs. Castro does not intend to return to the country and face the warrants of arrest issued against her since 2002 for violation of Republic Act 6425 or the Dangerous Drugs Act. Hence, she is a fugitive from justice," Drilon says.

"The jurisprudence clarifies that mere commission of a crime and subsequent flight thereto sufficiently meets the definition of a fugitive," Drilon says.

"Hence, the DFA, to avoid miscarriage of justice and by virtue of the Philippine Passport Act, can validly and lawfully cancel her passport so we can restrict Castro's movement, and summon her back to the country to face charges against her," Drilon, a former Justice secretary, says.