Drug ring eyed in slay of ‘narco cop’

MANILA, Philippines — Probers are eyeing a drug ring in the killing of a police officer in Makati on Monday, the National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) said yesterday.

Maj. Jeffrey Dalson, assigned to the office of Philippine National Police chief Gen. Archie Francisco Gamboa, was shot dead by motorcycle-riding assailants in Barangay East Rembo.

“It’s possible that the murder could have been perpetrated by members of a drug ring that he had a brush with,” NCRPO director Maj. Gen. Debold Sinas told reporters.

Dalson was included in President Duterte’s narco list for his alleged involvement in the illegal drug trade.

According to Sinas, Dalson was among the 357 police officers facing adjudication for inclusion in the drug list.

Dalson was previously assigned in Metro Manila at the height of Duterte’s drug war, but was transferred to another area.

“He was not in Metro Manila for a long period of time. So may be when they heard he was back, they took the chance to kill him,” Sinas said.

Probers are tracing Dalson’s previous assignments to get possible leads, the NCRPO chief said.

Police have yet to determine persons of interest in the killing.

The Commission on Human Rights will conduct a parallel investigation on the murder of Dalson, CHR spokesperson Jacqueline de Guia said.