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Tuesday, February 18, 2025

Full probe looms over PNP drug seizures, 22 cops held in custody

A THOROUGH investigation looms over the Philippine National Police (PNP) confiscation of illegal drugs since 2016 ahead of criminal charges to be filed against at least 30 policemen implicated in the seizure of more than 900 kilograms of shabu valued at P6.7 billion.

Meanwhile, 22 of these policemen will be placed under restrictive custody amid the charges lodged against them in connection with the controversial P6.7-billion drug seizure in October 2022.

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Interior and Local Government Secretary Jonvic Remulla made the disclosures following a Department of Justice (DOJ) directive to file the suits against the 30 police officers allegedly involved in the P6.7-billion drug mess.

‘’Yes, we will go back to 2016 all the way to 2022. It is our theory, but not proven, because of the reward system instituted by the PNP in 2016 started,” Remulla said.

He explained that the setup encouraged unscrupulous policemen to develop a scheme whereby they make a stockpile of the seized drugs, report part of it for the reward purposes, and gain an accomplishment at the same time to boost their chances for promotion.

“That’s how the system evolved,” he added.

Remulla also said developments on the case indicated that there was an apparent “grand conspiracy to conceal a criminal enterprise within the PNP.’’

‘’It must be inherent in the institution that with the responsibility of being an officer of the law comes with the power alone does not make you impervious to the prosecution,’’ Remulla noted.

‘’We have pursued the fullness of this case on administrative level, however, the final determination of criminal liability rest with the Department of Justice and the courts concerned,’’ he pointed out.

The Duterte administration’s anti-drug campaign, which began in 2016, has faced criticism for alleged human rights violations and abuse of power. Recently, prosecutors filed charges against police officers, including two generals, for alleged violations of the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act (RA 9165), including planting evidence and mishandling of the suits.

The charges particularly cited dismissed MSgt. Rodolfo Mayo Jr., who was reportedly caught with 990 kilograms of shabu worth ₱6.7 billion during a raid in Manila. Mayo, previously an intelligence officer of the PNP Drug Enforcement Group, was dismissed in 2023 for grave misconduct.

Prosecutors charged that there was a conspiracy to cover up a failed operation by staging a false “hot pursuit” mission involving Mayo, intended to justify his arrest.

Remulla also bared that he mulls reviewing the PNP Reform and Organization Act of 1998 to curb irregularities in the police service.

“We need to amend the PNP Reform Law because this shows that the officers involved had no specialty with their duties. Obviously Major General Domingo (and) Major General Santos were not duly informed or not specialized in drug cases so it seems they committed a mistake in the decision-making,” he said.

“We want each department to have an institutional memory from drug enforcement to cybercrime to administration to investigation. The cops should be specialized,” Remulla said.

Prosecutor General Richard Fadullon said the pieces of evidence against the police officers were strong.

‘’As far as the evidence represented to us and as far as the person charged (are concerned), the 30 police officers with ranks of Lieutenant. General, Brigadier General, all the way down to Police Master Sergeant, we believe that the evidence is strong enough to warrant a conviction,’’ Fadullon said at the same briefing.

‘’Because we have this new policy in the department now, we only make sure that the cases that were elevated in court are cases which will be able to withstand rigorous trials and end up in eventual conviction,’’ he added.

During a press briefing, PNP spokesperson Brig. Gen. Jean Fajardo confirmed that PNP chief Gen. Rommel Marbil issued the order to disarm and place the 22 officers in restrictive custody.

“He already gave instructions to his staff to put the 22 active cops under restrictive custody and for them to be disarmed pending the issuance of the warrant of arrest.” Fajardo said.

Of the 30 cops, Fajardo said 22 were still in active duty, two went on compulsory retirement, one was “resigned,” three were “optionally retired,” and two “dismissed”.

State prosecutors have filed criminal charges against several police officers, including two high-ranking generals, for violations of the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002.

The officers are accused of crimes such as planting evidence and mishandling the prosecution of drug cases, including delays and failures in the legal process.

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