The Philippine National Police (PNP) has placed under tight monitoring 762 police officers suspected to be involved in illegal drug activities, according to PNP chief Oscar Albayalde.
Albayalde confirmed on Thursday that he submitted the list of 762 policemen to President Rodrigo Duterte on Wednesday. The list was drawn by the PNP’s Integrity Monitoring and Enforcement Group (IMEG).
Albayalde said IMEG was created in February this year “to monitor specifically itong tinatawag nilang scalawags in our ranks (these scalawags in our ranks).”
The PNP said 22 policemen were also being monitored on suspicion that they were recycling seized drugs.
Five of the 22 policemen are in Metro Manila, National Capital Region Police Office chief Guillermo Eleazar said.
“We provided him (Duterte) the names and I also briefed him on the status of these ‘ninja cops,’” Albayalde told reporters in Camp Crame, Quezon City. Policemen who recycle illegal drugs seized during police operations were tagged as ninja cops.
The PNP chief said it was up to the President whether he would disclose the names of those on the list.
Albayalde noted that the policemen in the list would be given due process.
Those who would be proven innocent would be delisted, he added.
“There is a continuing process of adjudication,” Albayalde said.
Since July 2016, 448 PNP personnel have been dismissed for involvement in illegal drugs.
Albayalde said he also updated the President on the status of the PNP’s campaign against illegal drugs and erring policemen.
The issue on drug recycling came to fore following reports that several policemen protected “drug queen” Guia Gomez Castro, who left the country last week.
On Thursday, Interior Secretary Eduardo Año dared Castro to return if she is innocent.
“Sagutin n’ya itong mga paratang sa kanya at kami rin magko-conduct din kami ng investigation even discreetly to know kung totoo ito, sino mga contacts n’ya. Alam mo naman basta drugs kailangan tapusin natin ‘yan (She should answer all the accusations against her and we will conduct an investigation if this is true, who are her contacts. If it’s drugs we need to end it),” Año told reporters.
Albayalde admitted that the controversy affected the morale of the police officers.
Also on Thursday, Sen. Richard Gordon said it was possible that rogue policemen involved in illegal drugs helped Castro escape to prevent her from becoming a witness against them.
“It could be a diversionary tactic or a way of eliminating a possible witness against senior [PNP] officials,” Gordon, chairman of the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee, said in a chance interview.
Castro, the former head of Barangay 484, Zone 48 in Sampaloc, Manila, left the country on September 21.
Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency Director Aaron Aquino said Castro bought seized crystal meth, locally known as shabu, from rogue policemen.
“‘Di makaka-operate ‘yan kung wala talagang timbre sa malalaki (She cannot operate without the blessing of influential people),” he added.
Detained Sen. Leila de Lima said Castro’s leaving the country “is questionable.”
“Flight will always be associated with guilt. When one is innocent, he or she is fearless to confront the accusations against him or her,” de Lima added.
WITH BERNADETTE E. TAMAYO
