Senate justice panel hearing hosts Albayalde, Magalong blame game
Published Oct 1, 2019 06:59 pm
By Vanne Elaine Terrazola
A blame game between Philippine National Police (PNP) chief General Oscar Albayalde and former Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (PNP-CIDG) chief Benjamin Magalong erupted on Tuesday as the Senate started its probe on the involvement of rogue policemen in the recycling of illegal drugs.
Former PNP Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) director and Baguio Mayor Benjamin Magalong and Philippine National Police (PNP) chief General Oscar Albayalde (MANILA BULLETIN)
Albayalde and Magalong faced off at the Senate justice committee's hearing on the issues hounding the New Bilibid Prison, which shifted on the so-called "agaw-bato" scheme implicating PNP members.
Magalong, now Baguio City mayor, questioned how Albayalde was left in the dark about the anti-illegal drug operation conducted by his men in Mexico City, Pampanga in 2013 when he was Pampanga provincial director.
The operation, marred by irregularities, led to Albayalde's relief for command responsibility.
"I myself was a commander before I became a provincial director, I was a district commander. 'Pag may mga ganyan na high-profile operation, nakatutok kami dyan. And blow by blow, pinapadalhan kami niyan, minomonitor mo. So ako, sir, I'm just wondering, why hindi sir nalaman ni -- who was then a provincial director, Gen. Albayalde, kung anong nangyayari po sa loob?" Magalong told the Senate justice panel led by Sen. Richard Gordon.
(I myself was a commander before I became a provincial director, I was a district commander. And instances of high-profile operations, we should be closely monitoring it. And we should be receiving blow-by-blow reports to monitor it. So I am just wondering, sir, why was Gen. Albayalde, who was then a provincial director, unaware of what is happening inside?)
"Binulag ba siya ng mga tao niya? Hindi ko sir alam. Pero the SOP is almost every 30 minutes or an hour, lalong-lalo na pag may nakuha nang high profile at significant, nagfe-feedback na yong kanyang (Was he blinded by his men? I don't know, Sir. But the standard operating procedure is almost 30 minutes or an hour, especially with high-profile and significant operation, he should be receiving feedback from his men)," he pointed out.
He also recalled being asked by former PNP chief and now Senator Ronald "Bato" dela Rosa in 2016 to help him in cleansing the ranks of the police force before starting an "extensive and aggressive campaign" against illegal drugs. Magalong served as PNP deputy chief for operations under Dela Rosa's term.
But the PNP's internal cleansing program had been "selective", he said.
"I'm just wondering, Sir, why, in this particular case, naging selective tayo sa paglilinis ng bakuran natin (did we become selective in cleaning our own backyard)? Looking at the gravity of the offenses, bakit pinayagan natin nang ganoon na lang, unang-una naging demotion na lang; pangalawa, recently saan assigned tong mga tao ito (why did we allow these to happen, first of all, we only demoted the involved policemen; and second, where are these people assigned now) -- one is even a chief of police?" Magalong lamented.
Albayalde apparently offended with his upperclassman's remarks, then turned the tables at Magalong for supposedly failing to act on the issue when he was leading the PNP's Directorate for Investigation and Detective Management (DIDM) after his CIDG stint.
"Seemingly, we are being blamed on the problem on illegal drugs now...My question is, bakit ganito kalaki ang problem sa illegal na droga when in fact there are people there like Gen. Magalong, he was the chief CIDG, then he was the director of DIDM. He could have done everything with all his power, with all his authority to address this...and now we are being blamed," Albayalde said.
"Again, when these people are supposed to be dismissed in 2014. Gen. Magalong was still DIDM, he could have followed up," he stressed.
"Now he's saying he was so emphatic, that these cases are so widespread, all the drugs flourishing in Pampanga, how come he was the DIDM he did not follow up the cases of these people?" he added later.
Contradicting Albayalde's rants, Magalong said he had been religious in following up the criminal cases he filed against the 13 Pampanga policemen involved in the anomalous operation, only to be informed that the Department of Justice has yet to act on charges.
As for the administrative charges, Magalong said he trusted the Central Luzon regional director, who at the time was Chief Supt. Raul Petrasanta, would order the dismissal of the erring cops.
Magalong retired from PNP service in 2016. It was in 2017 when Petrasanta's successor, now CIDG chief Major Gen. Amador Corpus ordered the demotion of the 13 Pampanga policemen instead of the dismissal.
Gordon called out the PNP chief for pointing fingers, maintaining that the latter, as the provincial director should have kept in touch with his men and should also have acted against them.
To this, Albayalde reasoned out being relieved from his post before being able to do so.
" Doesn't matter! If I was relieved I would say I want to fix it. Give me a chance, I'll fix it. You are pointing fingers. We all have a problem and we all have to put our heads together," Gordon told Albayalde.
Earlier in the hearing, Magalong said he started the probe on Albayalde's men in 2014 due to instructions from former PNP chief Gen. Alan Purisima.
Purisima, he said, raised suspicion on the Pampanga cops after learning that all of them acquired new SUVs after the operation.
He also mentioned a recent meeting with President Duterte and Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency head Aaron Aquino where Aquino supposedly said that Albayalde called him up and tried to block the dismissal order.
"Nasabi niya (Aquino) na sa akin at inulit niya kay Presidente na tinawagan siya ni General Albayalde at sinasabi sa kanya na 'wag iimplement 'yung order (Aquino told me and the President that Albayalde called him to convince him not to implement the dismissal order)," Magalong said.
Aquino during the hearing had confirmed this, although clarifying that Albayalde was only inquiring about the status of the dismissal order.
He quoted Albayalde as telling him, "Kasi Sir, mga tao ko 'yan (Because Sir, those are my men)."
Magalong, taking a swipe at Albayalde, thanked Gordon for mentioning the SUVs and said, "Pati nga si provincial director nila meron din siya (Even the provincial director has a new car)."
To this, Albayalde said that Magalong was being driven by a personal "motive" for bringing up the controversial anti-drug operation after six years. He denied having an SUV and said he had an "old" pick-up truck in 2013.
Albayalde told senators that he was only informed about the anti-drug operation after it was conducted.
He also invoked the presumption of regularity.
Former PNP Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) director and Baguio Mayor Benjamin Magalong and Philippine National Police (PNP) chief General Oscar Albayalde (MANILA BULLETIN)
Albayalde and Magalong faced off at the Senate justice committee's hearing on the issues hounding the New Bilibid Prison, which shifted on the so-called "agaw-bato" scheme implicating PNP members.
Magalong, now Baguio City mayor, questioned how Albayalde was left in the dark about the anti-illegal drug operation conducted by his men in Mexico City, Pampanga in 2013 when he was Pampanga provincial director.
The operation, marred by irregularities, led to Albayalde's relief for command responsibility.
"I myself was a commander before I became a provincial director, I was a district commander. 'Pag may mga ganyan na high-profile operation, nakatutok kami dyan. And blow by blow, pinapadalhan kami niyan, minomonitor mo. So ako, sir, I'm just wondering, why hindi sir nalaman ni -- who was then a provincial director, Gen. Albayalde, kung anong nangyayari po sa loob?" Magalong told the Senate justice panel led by Sen. Richard Gordon.
(I myself was a commander before I became a provincial director, I was a district commander. And instances of high-profile operations, we should be closely monitoring it. And we should be receiving blow-by-blow reports to monitor it. So I am just wondering, sir, why was Gen. Albayalde, who was then a provincial director, unaware of what is happening inside?)
"Binulag ba siya ng mga tao niya? Hindi ko sir alam. Pero the SOP is almost every 30 minutes or an hour, lalong-lalo na pag may nakuha nang high profile at significant, nagfe-feedback na yong kanyang (Was he blinded by his men? I don't know, Sir. But the standard operating procedure is almost 30 minutes or an hour, especially with high-profile and significant operation, he should be receiving feedback from his men)," he pointed out.
He also recalled being asked by former PNP chief and now Senator Ronald "Bato" dela Rosa in 2016 to help him in cleansing the ranks of the police force before starting an "extensive and aggressive campaign" against illegal drugs. Magalong served as PNP deputy chief for operations under Dela Rosa's term.
But the PNP's internal cleansing program had been "selective", he said.
"I'm just wondering, Sir, why, in this particular case, naging selective tayo sa paglilinis ng bakuran natin (did we become selective in cleaning our own backyard)? Looking at the gravity of the offenses, bakit pinayagan natin nang ganoon na lang, unang-una naging demotion na lang; pangalawa, recently saan assigned tong mga tao ito (why did we allow these to happen, first of all, we only demoted the involved policemen; and second, where are these people assigned now) -- one is even a chief of police?" Magalong lamented.
Albayalde apparently offended with his upperclassman's remarks, then turned the tables at Magalong for supposedly failing to act on the issue when he was leading the PNP's Directorate for Investigation and Detective Management (DIDM) after his CIDG stint.
"Seemingly, we are being blamed on the problem on illegal drugs now...My question is, bakit ganito kalaki ang problem sa illegal na droga when in fact there are people there like Gen. Magalong, he was the chief CIDG, then he was the director of DIDM. He could have done everything with all his power, with all his authority to address this...and now we are being blamed," Albayalde said.
"Again, when these people are supposed to be dismissed in 2014. Gen. Magalong was still DIDM, he could have followed up," he stressed.
"Now he's saying he was so emphatic, that these cases are so widespread, all the drugs flourishing in Pampanga, how come he was the DIDM he did not follow up the cases of these people?" he added later.
Contradicting Albayalde's rants, Magalong said he had been religious in following up the criminal cases he filed against the 13 Pampanga policemen involved in the anomalous operation, only to be informed that the Department of Justice has yet to act on charges.
As for the administrative charges, Magalong said he trusted the Central Luzon regional director, who at the time was Chief Supt. Raul Petrasanta, would order the dismissal of the erring cops.
Magalong retired from PNP service in 2016. It was in 2017 when Petrasanta's successor, now CIDG chief Major Gen. Amador Corpus ordered the demotion of the 13 Pampanga policemen instead of the dismissal.
Gordon called out the PNP chief for pointing fingers, maintaining that the latter, as the provincial director should have kept in touch with his men and should also have acted against them.
To this, Albayalde reasoned out being relieved from his post before being able to do so.
" Doesn't matter! If I was relieved I would say I want to fix it. Give me a chance, I'll fix it. You are pointing fingers. We all have a problem and we all have to put our heads together," Gordon told Albayalde.
Earlier in the hearing, Magalong said he started the probe on Albayalde's men in 2014 due to instructions from former PNP chief Gen. Alan Purisima.
Purisima, he said, raised suspicion on the Pampanga cops after learning that all of them acquired new SUVs after the operation.
He also mentioned a recent meeting with President Duterte and Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency head Aaron Aquino where Aquino supposedly said that Albayalde called him up and tried to block the dismissal order.
"Nasabi niya (Aquino) na sa akin at inulit niya kay Presidente na tinawagan siya ni General Albayalde at sinasabi sa kanya na 'wag iimplement 'yung order (Aquino told me and the President that Albayalde called him to convince him not to implement the dismissal order)," Magalong said.
Aquino during the hearing had confirmed this, although clarifying that Albayalde was only inquiring about the status of the dismissal order.
He quoted Albayalde as telling him, "Kasi Sir, mga tao ko 'yan (Because Sir, those are my men)."
Magalong, taking a swipe at Albayalde, thanked Gordon for mentioning the SUVs and said, "Pati nga si provincial director nila meron din siya (Even the provincial director has a new car)."
To this, Albayalde said that Magalong was being driven by a personal "motive" for bringing up the controversial anti-drug operation after six years. He denied having an SUV and said he had an "old" pick-up truck in 2013.
Albayalde told senators that he was only informed about the anti-drug operation after it was conducted.
He also invoked the presumption of regularity.