Cebu cops into drugs, PNP chief confirms

MANILA, Philippines — Philippine National Police chief Director General Oscar Albayalde yesterday admitted that there is a “culture of corruption” among PNP officers in Cebu, which he said prompted a revamp of the police force in the province.

Albayalde cited reports that some police officers extort money from suspected drug dealers in Cebu.

“(Police officers) ask money (from drug suspects) on a weekly basis,” he said in an interview over CNN Philippines yesterday.

On Tuesday, President Duterte vowed to go after police officers and personnel of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) in Cebu who are into the illegal drug trade.

“Your policemen in Cebu are all addicts, almost everyone, even your officials and your PDEA,” the President said in a speech before local chief executives in Cebu City. 

The President had earlier said Cebu is also a hotbed of shabu.

Albayalde said they received information that among the police officials on the President’s narco list was a former police director in Central Visayas.

“We have information... that... before the Duterte administration, most Cebu cops were engaged in extortion and illegal drugs,” Albayalde said.

He said some police officers in Cebu are still involved in illegal activities even as he noted an improvement.

“It has greatly improved...because we changed all the commanders,” Albayalde said.

Chief Superintendent Debold Sinas, Western Visayas police director, also admitted that there are “addicts” among Cebu policemen even as he gave assurance that internal cleansing is ongoing.