The goal of raiding another warehouse to confiscate more illegal drugs aside from the 990 kilos seized from a lending agency owned by controversial Police Master Sgt. Rodolfo Mayo, Jr. in Manila last year was the reason why police anti-narcotics agents had committed lapses in operational procedures.
This was admitted by Police Brig. Gen. Narciso Domingo, head of the Philippine National Police-Drug Enforcement Group (PDEG), following the call of Interior and Local Government Secretary Benhur Abalos for him and at least nine other cops to file a leave of absence following what the latter describes as a massive attempt to cover-up the arrest of Mayo in October last year.
“It was a strategic decision made with the clearance of the TDCO (The Deputy Chief for Operations) and the Chief PNP (Gen. Rodolfo Azurin, Jr) in our desire to confiscate more drugs, actually one warehouse which has bigger quantity of shabu than the 990 kilos of shabu we seized that day,” said Domingo.
The TDCO that time was Police Lt. Gen. Benjamin Santos who was also asked by Abalos to file a leave of absence. Santos already bowed out of police service after reaching the mandatory retirement age of 56 last month.
Santos was also seen in the CCTV footage which served as a major basis in asking Domingo and at least eight other police officials to file a leave of absence.
“There was a clearance from the higher-ups to conduct a follow-up operation. Unfortunately, the operation was cancelled because there was a concern from our Chief PNP that Mayo would be killed,” said Domingo.
In a press briefing on Monday, an irate Abalos said the way the operating cops dealt with Mayo would reveal that there was an attempt to cover up his arrest, including the fact that his handcuff was removed and there was an attempt to make it appear that Mayo was in another operation when he was already arrested.
Abalos then created a separate fact-finding board headed by the head of the National Police Commission (Napolcom), saying that he was disappointed by the way the PNP leadership is handling the case of Mayo even after his arrest was announced.
Domingo, for his part, said he also saw the video before and said that there was already a twist in the story that reached Abalos which made him suspect that all the policemen in the video are involved in the cover-up.
“There was already a twist but the fact still remains that Mayo has been charged. The (criminal) case is now in court with one of his civilian companion, and aside from that, there was already a dismissal order against Mayo,” said Domingo.
Tactical move
Domingo explained that the attempt to use Mayo in another operation that was supposed to yield more than what was seized in Manila was a tactical move on the part of the PDEG.
“I admit that there were lapses but then in our desire to accomplish, further illegal drugs, we made a tactical move to get the other group which sold Mayo. I know there was something wrong in the procedures but I believe at that time that it was justified,” said Domingo.
The warehouse, according to Domingo, is located in Pasig.
Based on the PDEG intelligence report, the other group sold Mayo to the PDEG operatives which led to his arrest and the confiscation of 990 kilos of shabu inside a lending agency he owns in Sta. Cruz, Manila.
Police Col. Julian Olonan, head of the PDEG Special Operations Unit in Region 4A and is also among those who was asked by Abalos to go on leave, said there was never an intention to spare Mayo.
He explained that after Mayo’s arrest, they talked to the errant cop who told the PDEG operatives that there was another warehouse in Pasig City owned by a wanted drug trafficker who was arrested before for possession of 20 kilos of shabu.
“Covering up for someone like Mayo never entered our mind. Maybe our only fault was that we believed him when he said there was another warehouse,” said Olonan who said that his conscience is clear despite the statement made by Abalos.
Aside from Domingo anf Olonan, also asked to go on leave were Police Lt. Col. Arnulfo Ibañez, officer-in-charge 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.
No problem
Meanwhile, the PNP leadership sees no problem with the call of Abalos for at least nine policemen to go on leave.
In a statement, the PNP said it supports the intention of Abalos to conduct an investigation on the circumstances related to the arrest of Police Rodolfo Mayo Jr., who was involved in the 6.7 billion drug haul in the country October last year.
“The PNP backs SILG's (Secretary of the Interior and Local Government) call for the voluntary submission of leave of absence by PNP officers depicted to be directly involved in the arrest of PMSgt Mayo as seen in the CCTV footages,” the statement read.
“We believe that such is the most prudent thing to do by said officers to prevent them from influencing the investigation at any stage.”
“In all circumstances, the PNP will not tolerate any wrongdoing of any member of the organization, regardless of rank and position. We will respect the proceedings and abide by the directives of the NAPOLCOM and other constituted authorities in this matter,” the statement read.