Albayalde admitted the issue affected the organization, particularly those who are striving to perform their mandate.

A faceoff between Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Gen. Oscar Albayalde and Baguio City Mayor Benjamin Magalong is looming next week when the Senate resumes an inquiry into the so-called “ninja cops” involved in the recycling of seized illegal drugs.

Sen. Richard Gordon, chairman of the Senate Committees on Justice and Human Rights and Blue Ribbon, hinted that both Albayalde and Magalong will be invited to the 1 October resumption of the inquiry.

Gordon, however, stressed Albayalde would be invited since he is the chief PNP.

Albayalde earlier felt alluded to by insinuations that a top PNP official was involved in the illegal drugs trade.

On Magalong, Gordon said “definitely, he is totally committed.”

The Palace, however, expressed belief the “ninja cop” syndicate is now “a thing of the past.”

In a Palace briefing, the President’s spokesman Salvador Panelo disclosed Albayalde met with President Rodrigo Duterte last Wednesday night to discuss the drug war and steps the police force had taken to purge erring cops.

Quoting the PNP chief, Panelo said incidents of rogue policemen engaged in the reported recycling of seized illegal drugs during anti-narcotics operations “happened during the years under the previous administration.”

The official, however, admitted that there could still be some rotten eggs within the administration still engaged in the illegal drugs trade and unlawful activities.

“What we have are police scalawags. Albayalde told the President that he has precisely undertaken measures and operations, and those operations yielded 124 policemen killed during entrapment operations and so many policemen arrested,” he stated.

He then warned erring policemen to mend their ways or face dire consequences.

Gordon said official invitations will be sent to Albayalde and Magalong as resource persons for the next hearing.

“They are public officials. They can be called easily,” Gordon said.

Sen. Ronald de la Rosa, Albayalde’s immediate predecessor and a mistah from the Philippine Military Academy (PMA) Class of 1986, earlier said the chief PNP was agitated by the rumors that he was among those named by Magalong during a Senate executive session on those involved in the so-called “agaw bato” scheme by rogue cops in Pampanga.

Albayalde was then serving as Pampanga Provincial Police Office director when the alleged “agaw bato” scheme was discovered by operatives of the PNP-Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG).

Magalong, a former CIDG director, previously testified about the “agaw bato” scheme and the botched Case Operation Plan “Cronus” he authored to raid New Bilibid Prison following intelligence reports of the proliferation of illegal activities inside the facility in Muntinlupa City in 2014.“By 1 October, whether they were named or not, what was agreed in the Senate meeting yesterday (Wednesday) is that we will report to the public who were mentioned,” Gordon said.

Relatedly, the morale of the 165,000-strong PNP is already affected by the controversy sparked by the so-called “ninja cops” who are allegedly recycling seized illegal drugs to gain money. They would underdeclare confiscated shabu or hold arrested suspects for ransom.

In an interview in Camp Crame, Albayalde admitted the issue affected the organization, particularly those who are striving to perform their mandate.