Court set to order arrest of ‘ninja cops’

MANILA, Philippines — The criminal charges filed against 12 “ninja cops” tagged in the recycling of confiscated drugs have been raffled off at the San Fernando Regional Trial Court (RTC) in Pampanga, the Department of Justice (DOJ) announced yesterday.

Senior Assistant State Prosecutor Alexander Suarez said the drug cases against Supt. Rodney Baloyo IV and 11 other police officers would be handled by Judge Esperanza Paglinawan-Rozario of San Fernando RTC Branch 44.

Suarez said the court is set to issue a warrant for the arrest of the respondents and the date of arraignment.

Last month, a panel of prosecutors recommended the filing of criminal charges against Baloyo along with Lt. Joven de Guzman Jr.; Senior Police Officers 1 Jules Maniago, Donald Roque, Ronald Santos, Rommel Vital, Alcindor Tinio, Eligio Valeroso and Dante Dizon, and PO3s Dindo Dizon, Gilbert de Vera and Romeo Guerrero Jr.

The DOJ recommended that the respondents be indicted for failure to account for seized drugs, planting of evidence, delay and bungling in the prosecution of cases under Republic Act 9165, qualified bribery as well as violation of RA 3019 or the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act.

Last week, the Municipal Trial Court of San Fernando reportedly ordered the arrest of Santos and Guerrero for perjury in connection with the release of a Chinese drug suspect.

The court set P18,000 bail each for Santos and Guerrero.

Suarez said they would verify which court is handling the perjury cases against the suspects.     

The police officers allegedly failed to account for the items confiscated from Johnson Lee, who was arrested during a drug sting in Mexico town on Nov. 29, 2013.

Other evidence seized during the operation included around 200 kilos of shabu, P55 million in cash and a sport utility vehicle.

In the information filed by the DOJ on Jan. 28, Santos and Guerrero supposedly testified falsely under oath against Ding Wenkun, another drug suspect who was freed in 2018.