The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) will launch a nationwide investigation into drug confiscations led by the Philippine National Police (PNP) dating back to 2016, Secretary Juanito Victor ‘Jonvic’ Remulla announced on Monday.
This developed after the Department of Justice (DOJ) filed criminal charges against 30 police officers linked to the seizure of 990 kilograms of shabu, valued at ₱6.7 billion, during a series of anti-drug operations in Manila.
“We will review all cases from 2016 to 2022. Our theory, though unproven, is that the PNP’s reward system led some officers to withhold reported drug hauls. Instead, they staged smaller busts to claim rewards and promotions,” Remulla said in a paraphrased statement rendered partly in Tagalog.
The DILG chief added that the case revealed systemic corruption within the ranks. “There appears to be a grand conspiracy to conceal a criminal enterprise within the PNP,” he noted.
The case centered on dismissed Police Master Sergeant Rodolfo Mayo Jr., who was caught with the ₱6.7-billion drug stash during a Manila operation. Mayo, an intelligence officer with the PNP Drug Enforcement Group, was dismissed in 2023 for grave misconduct.
Prosecutors alleged that police officials staged a “hot pursuit” operation to justify Mayo’s arrest, covering up earlier missteps in the operation.
Charges filed against the officers, including two police generals, involve violations of the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act, such as planting evidence (Section 29) and mishandling drug cases (Section 92).
Remulla also called for a review of the PNP Reform and Organization Act of 1998, citing the need for specialization in law enforcement.
“We want each department to have an institutional memory from drug enforcement to cybercrime to administration to investigation. The cops should be specialized,” he said.
Prosecutor General Richard Fadullon affirmed the strength of the evidence against the 30 implicated police officers, which includes ranks from Lieutenant General to Master Sergeant. “We believe that the evidence is strong enough to warrant a conviction,” he said.