These ninjas
PNP chief Oscar Albayalde, who is now embroiled in the "ninja cops" controversy during his time as PNP chief in Pampanga, believes he is not one of the two generals President Duterte said are still involved in illegal drugs. Duterte declared in a speech in Russia that there are two generals involved in illegal drugs that he will deal with them when he gets back. In his now familiar rant, he declared he would get rid of these "ninja cops" before his term ends. I guess we should just wait and see who Duterte will mention and what action he will take.
In the two Senate hearings on "ninja cops", the events of the November 2013 buy-bust operation in Pampanga were laid out in detail, although there obviously were two versions. Albayalde was the PNP chief of Pampanga at the time. It is becoming all too clear that Maj. Baloyo's group not only violated so many procedural protocols governing a legitimate buy-bust operation, they were the "ninja cops" referred to by former CIDG chief Magalong. Several Senate witnesses practically contradicted Maj. Baloyo's incredible version of details and events. The time of the operation, the suspect presented to the media, the marked money, the person who supposedly cased the house, and so much more. He could not answer the senators immediately because his version just did not jibe with the presented witnesses and facts. Baloyo is now at the New Bilibid Prisons for contempt.
Thus just months before his retirement, Albayalde will have to face an investigation supposedly ordered by Duterte into the said operation. If the results of Magalong's investigation were accurate, Baloyo and his men kept 161 kilograms of shabu while officially declaring only 39, let the primary Chinese national suspect go for millions, and also kept the cash found in the house. According to both Magalong and PDEA director general Aquino, Albayalde showed concern for his men when the investigation was ongoing.
The DOJ will reopen the case of the 13 men involved in the operation as they should. The PNP will likewise do the same which they should have done decades ago. Clearly the decision to dismiss the 13 police officers was delayed until a legal remedy was available to them. Aside from the decision to dismiss, a lifestyle check should have been done on all 13. They should have been immediately expelled from the PNP and criminally charged, but as I have always been saying, police take care of their own like a fraternity. Albayalde's current troubles are probably due to his "concern" over his men when he should have been dispassionate, being the provincial director.
Let's hope everyone does right this time and put these "ninjas" away for a long time. Let's see how Duterte's supposed anger at the cops manifests itself.
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