Top cop leaves fate to Duterte

He acts on the basis of evidence. That’s why he said he will leave that up to the DILG Secretary.

Saying he will not give in to calls from some senators to hand in his resignation, Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Gen. Oscar Albayalde said he leaves his fortune in the hands of President Rodrigo Duterte “whose trust he still enjoys.”

“Our President is a lawyer. He is not the type to decide based only on accusations as he also served as a fiscal. He acts on the basis of evidence. That’s why he said he will leave that up to Secretary (Eduardo Año) of DILG (Department of the Interior and Local Government). You know the President’s attitude. If he doesn’t like you, he really doesn’t like you,” Albayalde said in a radio interview.

The PNP chief, who served as Pampanga provincial police chief at the time of the assailed anti-drug raid, was relieved then from his post due to command responsibility.

The 13 erring cops were ordered dismissed but the penalty was reduced to demotion after a motion for reconsideration was filed on 14 March 2016.

“I will wait for the President’s decision and I will wait for (Interior) Secretary (Eduardo) Año’s decision,” Albayalde, who is up for mandatory retirement on 8 November, said.

“Whatever they say, as I have said, I am expendable,” he added.

He said this attack against him affected the PNP as a whole, including the government’s campaign against illegal drugs.

“It also affects the campaign against crimes and corruption. These attacks are directed against our reputation, including me, who leads the war on drugs. You be the judge. See it for yourselves,” the PNP chief said.

Meanwhile, PNP spokesman Brig. Gen. Bernard Banac said there is no need for a loyalty check among their ranks.

“We do not see the need for a loyalty check for now. The whole PNP is in full support of the leadership and we are supporting our President as the Commander-in-Chief,” he told a press briefing at Camp Crame, Quezon City.

Banac said, while many police officers are saddened by the recent events, they continue to fulfill their mandate.

On Tuesday, President Duterte said he will await results of investigations by the Senate and Año before deciding on whether to fire Albayalde over his alleged involvement in the “ninja cops” issue.

Senators who were part of the investigation on the alleged “ninja cops” operations gave diverse opinions on Albayalde’s rejection of calls for his resignation.

In an interview, Senate Justice and Human Rights chairman Sen. Richard Gordon said Albayalde should consider resigning from his post even if the PNP chief has only one month to serve before his retirement.

But for Senate President Vincent Sotto III, Minority Leader Franklin Drilon and Sen. Panfilo Lacson, he should finish his term.

In a Senate probe last Tuesday, Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) chief Aaron Aquino and former Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) chief Benjamin Magalong revealed that Albayalde called Aquino to stop the implementation of the dismissal of his previous subordinates who were involved in drug activities.

Aquino who was then a regional director of Central Luzon was contacted by Albayalde who was then the chief of the National Capital Region Police Office to hold the implementation of the sacking of 13 policemen who were behind the illegal buy-bust operation that happened in Pampanga in 2013.

“If he cannot explain that, he should really resign because there (are issues) left and right. The ‘drug queen’ who managed to escape. There are many unsolved cases,” he added.

Drilon said “the signal is clear” that Albayalde will be allowed to finish his time as head of police, but he said that his reputation will be tarnished with the revelation.

“You know, he has only one month. Whatever happens, indeed, his stint as PNP chief is tarnished by this revelation. It’s a very serious allegation. Given the ‘tokhang’ campaign, which killed thousands of people and supposedly drug dealers, the drug campaign loses its credibility when you hear of these allegations between high-ranking officials of the PNP,” Drilon explained.

The Minority leader said calling Aquino is very improper whether or not the motive of the PNP chief was just to find out the status of a case. Elmer N. Manuel