New witnesses to attend Senate probe of ‘ninja cops’

MANILA, Philippines — New witnesses are expected to testify today at the resumption of the Senate Blue Ribbon committee inquiry into the so-called “ninja cops,” or police officers involved in pilfering and selling drugs seized during raids.

Senate President Vicente Sotto III yesterday said he has signed at least five subpoenas for five individuals who will testify on the case of the 13 former subordinates of Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Gen. Oscar Albayalde who were accused of carting away 160 kilos of methamphetamine hydrochloride or shabu as well as cash and vehicles from a suspected drug trafficker during a raid in a subdivision in Mexico, Pampanga on Nov. 29, 2013.

Sotto declined to name the witnesses.

But Sen. Richard Gordon, chairman of the committee, provided some details on the witnesses, saying there were PNP officers expected to speak on the internal investigation against the 13 police officers – led by Police Maj. Rodney Baloyo – conducted in 2014, particularly on how they managed to avoid dismissal from the service.

“We hope to get a complete picture and go full circle on this,” Gordon said in an interview.

He said Albayalde would be undergoing more grilling on the controversy, which could spoil his last weeks in office or even lead to his premature retirement before the end of his term on Nov. 8.

“He will still have to answer a lot of questions,” the senator said, adding the PNP chief’s action or inaction on the administrative and criminal cases against his former subordinates has cast doubt on his insistence that he had nothing to do with the actions of Baloyo and the rest of the raiding team.

Albayalde was Pampanga provincial police director when the questioned raid was staged. He was relieved in March 2014 for command responsibility to pave the way for an internal investigation.

Meanwhile, Sen. Christopher Go assured the public that the alleged ninja cops would be held accountable even as he awaits the results of the investigation of the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) and the Department of Justice (DOJ).

“The President will name the two colonels whom he said were ‘ninja cops’,” Go said, adding his trust in the PNP remains high.

With the looming retirement of Albayalde, Go clarified that President Duterte’s decision to bring some police generals with him to Russia did not mean that any of them could be the next PNP chief.

He said some of the police officers were recently awarded for their service so Duterte wanted them to join his trip.

He said the President wants to make sure that the next PNP chief will continue to carry out the reforms in the police force.

Go stressed the “internal cleansing” in the PNP should continue to further boost the administration’s campaign against corruption inside the agency.

The DOJ, meanwhile, hopes to begin its reinvestigation of the issue next week.

No summons yet

A DOJ source said a special panel of prosecutors has not yet issued any summons as they have not yet received a copy of records of the 2017 DOJ resolution that dismissed the alleged illegal drugs complaint against Baloyo and his men.

But panel members, the source said, “will abide by” Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra’s directive that the probe be completed in 30 days.

Last Monday, Guevarra announced that Senior Associate State Prosecutor Alexander Suarez and Assistant State Prosecutors (ASPs) Josie Christina Dugay and Gino Paulo Santiago would comprise the three-member panel of prosecutors.

“If warranted by the evidence, the Special Panel of Prosecutors is further directed to file the corresponding information before the appropriate court,” Guevarra said.

The reinvestigation would focus on their alleged violation of Republic Act 9165, particularly on Sections 27 (misappropriation), 29 (planting) and 32 (custody and disposition). Dismissed drug complaints filed with the DOJ are subjected to automatic review.

PNP spokesman Brig. Gen. Bernard Banac said they are ready for another round of lifestyle checks after the one done on police officers last March 31.

“If so ordered, the PNP is ready,” he said in Filipino.

Banac said every police official has been required to submit his or her statement of assets, liabilities and net worth (SALNs) as part of the lifestyle check.

He also said the PNP will promptly take action on the two police colonels tagged by Duterte as being involved in the illegal drug trade, once the President names them or if sufficient evidence are gathered against them. Duterte has yet to name the two. – With Evelyn Macairan, Emmanuel Tupas