Pampanga police director sacked

CAMP OLIVAS, Pampanga, Philippines   â€“ The acting police director of Pampanga was relieved of his post yesterday for “command responsibility” for an irregular anti-illegal drug operation by police officers in Mexico town last November.

Chief Superintendent Raul Petrasanta, Region 3 police director, said he received the relief order for Senior Superintendent Oscar Albayalde on Wednesday from Philippine National Police chief Director General Alan Purisima.

Petrasanta earlier had approved the recommendation of an investigating body for Albayalde’s relief after evaluating the evidence and accounts of witnesses and respondents in the anti-illegal drug operation.

Petrasanta said Albayalde was relieved of his post under the doctrine of command responsibility for failing to take corrective action at his level despite the chance given to him to do so.

Earlier, the regional police had filed charges before the provincial prosecutor’s office against Superintendent Rodney Raymund Baloyo, former chief of the Pampanga Intelligence Branch; Senior Inspector Joven de Guzman Jr., former head of the Pampanga Anti-Illegal Drugs Operations Task Group (PAIDSOTG); and 11 of their personnel. 

De Guzman and his 11 men were placed under preventive suspension for 90 days starting last March 3 to pave the way for summary dismissal proceedings on their administrative case.

During its operation at the Woodbridge Subdivision in Mexico town, PAIDSOTG supposedly confiscated P182 million worth of shabu and arrested a Chinese national, Ding Wenkun, 30, and Roel Luage Cabag.   

However, according to an intelligence report, 10 armed men in civilian attire on board a Hyundai Sta. Fe and Nissan Urvan led by De Guzman stormed Wenkun’s house on Nov. 29 last year.

The group left after a few minutes, bringing with them two pieces of luggage and a vault but without Mr. Lee, Petrasanta said.

He said the items were not included in the list of seized evidence and that the certification of seized evidence was signed only the following day, violating the standard operating procedures for anti-illegal drug operations.

Senior Superintendent Manuel Gaerlan, deputy regional police director for operations, was assigned as officer-in-charge of the Pampanga police.