Court absolves cops in P6.7 billion shabu haul

MANILA, Philippines — A court in Manila has cleared the 23 police officers implicated in alleged irregularities during a raid in Tondo, Manila that led to the seizure of about P6.7 billion worth of crystal meth or shabu in October 2022.

In dismissing the charge, Regional Trial Court Branch 175 Judge Danilo Leyva ruled that “the facts averred do not amount to the offense of planting of evidence.”

Leyva ordered the release of dismissed M/Sgt. Rodolfo Mayo Jr. from the Manila District Jail Annex 2 at Camp Bagong Diwa in Taguig and the other officers from the Philippine National Police Custodial Center at Camp Crame in Quezon City.

Ordered released from the PNP Custodial Center are Cols. Julian Olonan and Arnulfo Ibañez; Lt. Col. Dhefry Punzalan; M/Sgts. Carlos Bayeta and Alejandro Flores; Pats. Hustin Peter Gular, Rommar Bugarin, Hassan Kalaw, Dennis Carolino, Nathaniel Gomez, Mario Atchuela, Windel de Ramos, Darius Camacho and James Osalvo; Cpls. Joshua Ivan Baltazar and Jhan Roland Gelacio; Lts. Ashrap Amerol, Randolph Piñon and Silverio Bulleser II; S/Sgt. Arnold Tibay; Maj. Michael Angelo Salmingo and C/MSgt. Emmanuel Docena.

Also absolved by the court was former PNP Drug Enforcement Group chief Brig. Gen. Narciso Domingo.

The court “quashed” and “dismissed” the case as well as “recalled and set aside” the arrest warrants it issued on Jan. 17.

Earlier, the same court dismissed a similar case against former PNP deputy chief for operations Lt. Gen. Benjamin Santos due to lack of probable cause.

They were all accused of staging the arrest of Mayo and Ney Atadero after the seizure of the 990 kilos of shabu. Atadero died in a hospital in late May 2025 while in detention.

The case had led to a purge in the PNP that included star-rank officers.