MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Justice found probable cause to indict retired top cop Oscar Albayalde and 12 "ninja cops" over the 2013 irregular Pampanga drug raid.
In a statement Thursday, the DOJ said the prosecution panel found probable cause to charge Albayalde with violation of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act "for persuading, inducing or influencing another public officer to perform an act constituting a violation of rules and regulations in connection with the official duties of the latter, and for causing any undue injury to any party, including the government."
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Central to the case is the 2013 drug raid in Mexico, Pampanga where the operating police are accused of making off with the shabu they seized. Albayalde, then heading the Pampanga provincial police force, is accused of protecting his previous subordinates who were linked to the drug raid.
The panel said the charges against Albayalde were based on their finding on Albayalde's "non-implementation" of the order to penalize the cops involved in the said operation.
Findings against the retired police general will be forwarded to the Office of the Ombudsman that has jurisdiction over graft cases.
'Ninja cops' also indicted
The prosecution also indicted 12 other cops, led by Police Lt. Col. Rodney Baloyo IV, with misappropriation, misapplication or failure to account for the confiscated, seized and/or surrendered dangerous drugs; planting of evidence in a drug case; and delay and bungling of prosecution of drug cases.
Others who are facing the drug charges are:
- Police Lt. Joven Bagnot De Guzman, Jr.
- Police Master Sergeant Lacap Maniago
- Police Master Sergeant Donald Castro Roque
- Police Master Sergeant Ronald Bayas Santos
- Police Master Sergeant Rommel Muñoz Vital
- Police Master Sergeant Alcindor Mangiduyos Tinio
- Police Staff Sergeant Dindo Singian Dizon
- Police Staff Sergeant Gilbert Angeles De Vera
- Police Staff Sergeant Romeo Encarnacio Guerrero, Jr.
- Police Master Sergeant Eligio Dayos Valeroso
- Police Master Sergeant Dante Mercado Dizon
They are also facing charges for qualified bribery and graft charges.
"The Panel found that Baloyo, et al., misappropriated drugs when they declared that only 36.60 kg of shabu was seized during their operations, while the subsequent police investigation indicated that about two hundred (200) kilos of methamphetamine hydrochloride was actually recovered," the DOJ said.
The Justice department added: "The group likewise declared the cash they obtained from the operation to be only Three Hundred Thousand Pesos (P300,000.00) while contrary evidence indicated that said amount reached Ten Million Pesos (P10,000,000.00)."
Complaints against Police Corporal Anthony Loleng, supposed 13th member of the raiding team, were dropped for "insufficiency of evidence," Justice Undersecretary Markk Perete explained.