Albayalde: No attempt to interfere in case vs Pampanga cops

MANILA, Philippines — Gen. Oscar Albayalde, Philippine National Police chief, on Tuesday denied trying to influence how the case against his former subordinates involved in an allegedly irregular drug operation in Pampanga four years ago would go.

During a joint Senate inquiry into police officers involved in illegal drugs, Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency Director General Aaron Aquino said Albayalde called him in 2016 about the case of 13 Pampanga police officers who were ordered dismissed over a questionable anti-narcotics operation in 2014.

At the time of the call, Albayalde was the regional director for Metro Manila while Aquino for Central Luzon.

Aquino: Albayalde called between July and December 2016

Aquino told the Senate panel that Albayalde called about the status of the case of Rodney Raymund Baloyo, chief of the Pampanga Intelligence branch when the drug operation happened between July and December 2016.

“I told him that I want to review it first. Sinabi niya sa akin na for the meantime, ipa-review muna at ipa-check kasi gusto kong malaman magiging result ng investigation. Tinanong ko, bakit gusto mong malaman, sinabi niya na kasi mga tao niya,” Aquino said.

(I told him that I want to review it first. He told me that for the meantime, let us have the case reviewed and checked because he wanted to now the result of the investigation. I asked why he wanted to know, he said: 'because those are my people.')

The PDEA chief made the statement after Baguio City Mayor Benjamin Magalong, former director of the police Crime Investigation and Crime Detection Group, appealed to him to “simply tell the truth.”

“Last week, nag-usap kami nila Aaron and he told me everything. We’re both in a tight situation, we’re thinking about the safety of our family but this is a fight between right and wrong. Sabihin mo kung anong sinabi mo sa akin. Sinong kumausap sayo,” Magalong said.

(Tell them what you told me. [Tell them] who talked to you)

Albayalde: I can't influence the case

During the Senate hearing, Albayalde said he merely asked for a status of the case when he called Aquino.

"Yes, I asked for the status. Only the status. I could not possibly influence a regional director or an upperclassman. I’m just an acting NCRPO then," Albayalde said, adding the families of the cops were asking him about them.

He added: "Never in one time that I asked for any favor. I was asking for the status. That’s the very reason why General Aquino ordered the review of the case, which I think is very normal in the PNP."

In a 2017 decision, Major General Amador Corpus, CIDG director but Central Luzon regional director at the time, ordered the one-rank demotion of the 13 police officers found guilty of grave misconduct. — Gaea Katreena Cabico