Sotto expressed belief in a forum that Philippine National Police Chief Gen. Oscar Albayalde was not directly involved in illegal drugs.

Aides of President Rodrigo Duterte and the Senate leadership were unanimous in saying the credibility of the signature war on drugs remains untarnished despite the scandal generated by the “ninja cops” issue, with Senate President Vicente Sotto III saying the recycling of seized narcotics was a residue of the previous regime.

Sotto expressed belief in a forum that Philippine National Police (PNP) Chief Gen. Oscar Albayalde was not directly involved in illegal drugs even if he was tagged in the 2013 Pampanga drug-recycling issue.

The President in an address when he arrived home from an official visit to Russia said that Albayalde stays as PNP head and asked for evidence.

“The ‘ninja cop’ controversy emanated from events not in the administration of President Duterte. That was an issue in 2013. It just came about because we were investigating the recycling issue involving the NBP (New Bilibid Prison),” Sotto said.

Chief Presidential Legal Counsel and the President’s spokesman Secretary Salvador Panelo said in a press briefing that the issue, nonetheless, exposed erring officials within the PNP, which President Rodrigo Roa Duterte is adamant in addressing.

“The culprits are being exposed. That derailed their program,” Panelo said referring to the drugs syndicates.

“First, there have been many factories of shabu dismantled. Second, many have been arrested. And even with respect to the policemen, 142 policemen have been killed,” Panelo added.

Some 13 policemen including high-ranking officials were implicated in the scandal. For Panelo, the Filipino people should not worry about the backlash from the problem because the administration is doing everything for the anti-drug campaign to remain effective.

“They (the Filipino people) should be comfortable. The fact is the President has dismantled many drug apparatuses in this country and jailed many police scalawags involved in the drug operation and arrested many people involved in pushing the illegal drugs. Many have surrendered and rehabilitated,” he said.

In relation to this, the Cabinet official said that competence and honesty are the two key traits for the next PNP Chief.

“Competence, honesty, these were always the qualifications (the President) look for…. ‘If you’re honest, most likely you’re not corrupt,” Panelo stressed.

Meanwhile, Sotto said that the allegations against Albayalde all involved issues long in the past.

“Now, if you are pertaining to the PNP chief, from the time he was appointed as PNP chief up to the present, there has been no controversy involving him (in drugs). This problem was when he was the provincial director of PNP in Pampanga,” according to Sotto.

The Senate chief added that this issue could not be connected directly to the government’s drug war even if its chief implementor allegedly attempted to stop the implementation of the dismissal order of 13 rogue cops who were found guilty of grave misconduct after they ran an irregular drug operation in 2013.

“It is easy to connect (this to the drug war) but it was not really connected to the war on drugs of President Duterte (because) the recycling happened in a different time,” he explained.

The Senate chief also said that it is just right to unearth these controversies to serve as a warning to those law enforcers of the drug war noting that “the truth will always come out.”

“Like that, it happened a long time ago. Who would have thought it will resurface? It (came back) unexpectedly,” he said.

The rogue cops were ordered dismissed from service but former PNP Central Luzon chief and current CIDG Chief Amador Corpus eventually ordered one-rank demotion following the motion for reconsideration filed in 2016.

Albayalde was linked to the issue after then-Region 3 chief and now Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency director-general Aaron Aquino disclosed then-Metro Manila Chief Albayalde called him to stop the implementation of the dismissal order against his former subordinates.

The PNP chief admitted making the said phone call but maintained he did not attempt to influence Aquino.

Senators have called for the early departure from his post following the ninja cop controversy. This despite Albayalde’s formal retirement on 8 November.

Albayalde will have his chance to explain and answer all questions about his credibility in the continuation of the Senate probe, Senator Richard Gordon said.

The lawmaker added that the Senate Justice and Human Rights Committee will also present new witnesses and evidence during the investigation.

“The people have a right to know how these ninja cops, these corrupt cops, operate and they are entitled to justice. People want to know that the policeman that they have work for them. That they are still working for their welfare, for their safety. Having these corrupt cops is like being trapped in a hen house with a ravenous python,” he said.

Gordon added that the additional hearing will obviate the said illegal activities “so that the people will know that the government is working for them because the foundation of a government is trust.”

“There’s been too much talk. Now we really have to measure every word, every evidence so that people will know that the government is for them, not against them. It is really a betrayal of the President if these people continue because they have been paid well, ahead of the teachers. More importantly, they betray the people. They betray the people, they betray the President in spite of the fact that taxpayers’ money is given them to increase their salary,” the lawmaker pointed out.

The Philippine National Police is ready to conduct another lifestyle check on all its personnel amid the controversy involving the recycling of seized illegal drugs by the so-called “ninja cops.”

According to PNP spokesman Brig. Gen. Bernard Banac, all personnel were already subjected to lifestyle checks earlier this year but the organization is more than willing undergo another round as a response to Malacañang’s earlier call to determine whether or not policemen are living off ill-gotten wealth.