18 cops and operative on payroll - drug lord

Police links bared  

CEBU, Philippines - More than a month after self-confessed drug personality Franz Sabalones voluntarily surrendered himself to PNP Director General Ronald "Bato" Dela Rosa, he revealed a list of police officers and an agent of Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency alleged receiving a weekly payment from him to look the other way.

According to UNTV News and Rescue, he submitted a matrix that shows the names of 18 policemen with ranks ranging from Police Officer 1 to Superintendent, as well as a PDEA team leader.

The FREEMAN is withholding the names of those included in the drug matrix of Sabalones pending police verification. However those names included two police officials already mentioned in a narco list by President Rodrigo Duterte.

The two were relieved from their positions here and transferred to Police Regional Office-9 and Police Regional Office-10 after they were tagged as being involved in illegal drug operations.

When asked about his reaction to being included in another group of suspected drug supporters, one of the officials replied in a text message that he will have to consult his legal counsel first.

"That's too much. I'll talk to my lawyer pa," the police official said.

The report said that there are two policemen ranked Police Officer 1 in the matrix, two ranked Police Officer 2, four ranked Police Officer 3, two ranked Senior Police Officer 2, one ranked Senior Police Officer 3, two ranked Chief Inspector, five ranked Superintendent, and the PDEA team leader.

The weekly payout of Sabalones to the 18 policemen and one PDEA team leader allegedly amounted to a total of P507,000.

The Criminal Investigation and Detection Group has reportedly issued a summons to those included in the drug matrix to answer the allegations.

Meanwhile, Police Regional Office-7 director Noli Taliño said he has no knowledge of this latest development. (FREEMAN)