Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Benhur Abalos ordered at least 10 police officials, including an officer with a rank of one-star general to go on leave while the investigation on what he describes as a massive attempt to cover up the arrest of a cop who was tagged in the 990 kilos of shabu seized in Manila last year.
The police officials whom Abalos has asked to go on leave were seen in a video footage that was captured apparently before the supposed arrest of Police Master Sgt. Rodolfo Mayo, Jr.
They were Police Brig. Gen. Narciso Domingo, the current director of the Philippine National Police-Drug Enforcement Group (PDEG); Police Col. Julian Olonan, chief of the PDEG-Special Operations Unit in Region 4A; Police Lt. Col. Arnulfo Ibañez, officer-in-chrge of the PDEG-SOU in Metro Manila; Police Lt Col. Harry Lorenzo III, assigned to the Manila Police District, Moriones Station.
Police Maj. Michael Angelo Salmingo, deputy chief of the PDEG-SOU in Metro Manila; Police Capt. Jonathan Sosongco, head of the arresting team from the SOU- 4A; Police Capt. Randolph Piñon, chief of the intelligence section of the PDEG SOU 4A; Police Lt. Glen Gonzales, from the Quezon City Police District; Police Lt. Asgrap Amerol, intelligence officer of PDEG.
The highest ranking officer, Police Lt. Gen. Benjamin Santos, has already retired from the service in last month.
Also asked to go on leave were Police Master Sgt. Lorenzo Catarata, Police Senior Master Sgt. Jerrywhin Rebosora, Police Styaff Sgt. Arnold Tibay and a certain patrolman Gular.
“All those in the video should take a leavce of absence pending the investigation of the task force which I created to look into this. If not, we will be constraint to issue appropriate orders for their preventive suspension pending investigation,” said Abalos.
The last straw
In a press briefing on Monday, April 10, Abalos explained that he wrote a letter to the PNP leadership, through PNP chief Gen. Roldofo Azurin, Jr., in February this year to follow-up on the case of the confiscation of the 990 kilos of shabu in Manila last year.
He said this was prompted by his curiosity on the reason why the investigation into the matter, particularly on the possible involvement of other official, have been taking so long to come up with an investigation results and recommendation.
The arrest of Mayo and the confiscation of the P6.7 billion worth of shabu occurred in October 2022 and Abalos said he wants to know from the PNP leadership why there was still no update, including the results of the fact-finding probe to identify the other cops involved.
What drew the ire of Abalos was when he was told by one of official of the PNP during their meeting that the supposed fact-finding probe only focuses on the attempt by at least two policemen to steal 42 kilos of shabu from the 992 kilos of drug haul.
It was recalled that two policemen who joined the operation were caught in the CCTV footage loading a bag with 42 kilos of shabu in a car that turned out to be owned by a cop. The shabu was eventually returned by the erring cops.
New fact-finding team
Following what he described as a disappointing progress of the case of Mayo and the 992 kilos of shabu, Abalos said he authorized the creation of a Fact-Finding Board headed by National Police Commission (Napolcom) Vice Chairperson and Executive Officer Alberto Bernardo.
“The Fact-Finding Board is authorized to conduct a fact-finding inquiry on the involvement of Sgt. Mayo in the seized 990 kilos of shabu and the actions taken by the Special Investigation Task Group 990,” said Abalos.
The SITG 990 is led and composed of PNP officials.
Strong evidence
Abalos said the CCTV footage showing the police officials is just one of the strong pieces of evidence they have on the issue of the attempt to cover-up the arrest of Mayo.
“The Fact-Finding Board has taken testimonies of several personalities and based on this and other pieces of evidence under the possession of the Board, it shows that there is indeed a massive attempt to cover-up the arrest of Sgt. Mayo,” said Abalos.
Mayo was one of the policemen that were deployed in Mindanao in 2016 as punishment for alleged involvement in illegal drugs activities.
No less than PNP chief and now Sen. Ronald dela Rosa confirmed it as he raised question on how Mayo was able to go back to Metro Manila, and was even assigned as intelligence officer of the PDEG in the National Capital Region.
But he said the Board would start their investigation with the police officials whom he asked to go on leave. (With reports from Chito Chavez)