Malacañang on Monday backed the proposal to conduct a lifestyle check among police officers in the wake of a scandal in which some of them have been accused of reselling seized drugs.
READ: 2 ‘generals’ out of 9 tagged in illegal drug trade still at it
Presidential Spokesman Salvador Panelo said the PNP internal affairs unit could initiate the lifestyle review to determine if police officers are living within their means.
“It is a good idea. There should be lifestyle check internally among the PNP, and for that matter, all heads of department should conduct on [this] their own,” Panelo said.
“If you see there are people who are not supposed to be having this kind of wealth, then you have a problem,” he added.
Senator Richard Gordon, who leads the Senate probe into the reselling of seized illegal drugs, earlier said PNP chief General Oscar Albayalde and the 13 alleged “ninja cops” in Pampanga must undergo a lifestyle check.
READ: Narco-cops in two groups bared: ‘ninja liit, volt in’
Albayalde headed the Pampanga police when his former subordinates conducted a 2013 raid against a certain Johnson Lee, and allegedly seized some 200 kilograms of shabu but only declared 36 kilograms as evidence.
The policemen allegedly then acquired new sports utility vehicles.
Albayalde was also accused of influencing the investigation against the 13 Pampanga policemen.
Panelo also said it is up to President Rodrigo Duterte if he will appoint Albayalde to another government post after his retirement on Nov. 8.
“That’s the call of the President,” Panelo said.
Saying they had new evidence, Senator Richard Gordon said Monday his panel will call for another hearing in the November 2013 drug raid in Pampanga.
“We got additional evidence. We will call for another hearing if the senators are still there. We will come out with something new,” said Gordon.
He said he has yet to consult Senate President Vicente Sotto III over when to hold the next hearing.
Gordon is the chairman of the Senate Blue Ribbon and Justice committees investigating the widespread corruption in the Bureau of Corrections.
Gordon has been harsh toward Albayalde, saying his actions were “between negligence and possible knowledge of the offense” of his subordinates.
“Albayalde has to answer more questions. He is not off the hook yet. Albayalde has to own up, he has to account for it. He should have been the first one to remove his men for reselling the drugs. Instead, he even called up [then Regional Director and now Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency chief Aaron] Aquino to go easy on his men. That alone speaks volumes,” Gordon said.
Because of these circumstances, he said Albayalde still has a lot to explain.
Informed that President Duterte wanted clear proof against Albayalde, Gordon said he thinks the Senate hearing has enough information for the President to make a decision.
“But then I still would like General Albayalde to come forward and answer questions that need to be answered so it’s fair. We will not make an immediate conclusion. I still need to know many things. Why didn’t we see the investigation on the missing drugs, missing money, those are questions that need to be addressed,” he said.
Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra, meanwhile, created a three-man panel of prosecutors that will reinvestigate the involvement of 13 cops in an anti-drug operation in Pampanga where over 160 kilograms of shabu went missing and the cops allegedly got brand new SUVs.
In a Department Order No. 528, Guevarra designated Senior Assistant State Prosecutor Alexander Suares and Assistant State Prosecutors Josie Christina Dugay and Gino Paulo Santiago to constitute the panel to reinvestigate the controversial case.
The panel has been directed to immediately conduct hearings and resolve the case within 30 days.
“If warranted by the evidence, the Special Panel of Prosecutors is further directed to file the corresponding information before the appropriate court,” Guevarra said.
Also on Monday, PNP chief Oscar Albayalde welcomed President Duterte’s recent statement clarifying that there were no active police generals in the report on illegal drugs submitted to him by security officials.
Albayalde also said Baguio City Mayor Benjamin Magalong can ask him directly if he needs permanent security due to the supposed threats on his life.
At a press conference at Camp Vicente Lim in Calamba, Laguna, Albayalde was asked to comment on the remarks of Magalong, as well as Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency chief Aaron Aquino, that they were getting death threats amid their “ninja cops” revelations.
READ: Narco-cops’ list to Rody; Sampaloc drug queen named
READ: Rody confused: No generals, only colonel among ‘ninja cops’
