Legislators on Wednesday said they were baffled over the failure of the Philippine National Police to trace the source of nearly one ton of shabu confiscated from Police Master Sgt. Rodolfo Mayo Jr. in October 2022.
At a hearing of the House committee on dangerous drugs, Antipolo City Rep. Romeo Acop noted that the P6.7 billion worth of shabu was seized from an office in Tondo, Manila, operated by Mayo.
“I do not know if the PNP or the authorities in charge of these are alarmed by the fact that a non-commissioned officer of the PNP had in his possession one ton of illegal drugs…. It was in the possession of just a police officer. Didn’t they wonder about this?” Acop said in a mix of English and Filipino.
Acop said Chinese nationals were usually involved in cases where significant quantities of shabu are confiscated, but this was not the case with Mayo.
“He had in his possession one ton of illegal drugs. Where did it come from? I don’t know if the PNP investigated this,” he said.
Earlier in the hearing, the newly appointed chief of the PNP told congressmen that under his leadership, the force will not tolerate crooked cops.
“The PNP, especially under my leadership, does not and will not tolerate any wrongdoings, misconduct, and violation of laws of erring personnel,” Police Chief Gen. Benjamin Acorda told members of the Barbers committee.
He said the PNP would conduct an impartial and thorough investigation into the personnel involved in the seizure of 990 kilos of street-grade methamphetamine hydrochloride or shabu in 2022.
Barbers summoned Acorda and other senior PNP officials to shed light on the alleged pilferage of 42 kilos of the seized 990 kilos of shabu.
Congressmen suspect that there was a cover-up of the incident as well as an attempt to recycle the large haul of seized drugs.
Acorda, who was named PNP chief on Monday, said Special Investigation Task Group (SITG) 990 had already been formed to look into the issue.
Meanwhile, Acop expressed disgust over the claim of Police Brig. Gen. Narciso Domingo that Mayo could walk out of jail as a result of the congressional inquiry into the Oct. 8, 2022 drug bust.
Acop, the former director of the PNP-Drug Enforcement Group (PDEG), objected to Domingo’s statement.
“I am afraid [that] the biggest drug haul so far of the government now pending in court will be dismissed and one morning we will wake up looking at Sergeant Mayo going out of jail because of these proceedings,” Domingo told the panel.
But Domingo’s remarks did not sit well with Acop.
“Mr. Chair, may I object to this statement of the general that because of these proceedings sergeant Mayo will go free? No! It is because of what you did. Not us. I take exception to that statement and let it be on the record,” Acop said.
Barbers noted Acop’s observation and said if the case against Mayo is dismissed, it will not be because of his committee.
Upon hearing the strong reactions, Domingo apologized.
“I am sorry your honors, but my point is Sergeant Mayo may use this proceeding in his defense in court and the court may subpoena these proceedings to prove that the timeline of events submitted to the court is different.”
In the hearing, Col. Julian Olonan, PDEG Special Operations Unit (SOU) Region 4A chief, and Capt. Jonathan Sosongco, head of the PDEG SOU 4A team that supposedly arrested Mayo, gave varying timelines on the Oct. 8 operation.
But Acop stressed all details pertaining to timelines came from the police, not the congressmen.
“May I just remind General Domingo that the report on timelines came from you. It doesn’t come from us. So why put the blame on us?” Acop said.
Mayo, who is currently detained at Camp Bagong Diwa in Taguig City, repeatedly invoked his right to remain silent and right against self-incrimination when asked even the most basic questions by the legislators later in the hearing.
Mayo, wearing a yellow Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) shirt, attended the hearing via Zoom.
But Acop said Mayo technically could not invoke such rights on questions that had nothing to do with his case.
Mayo, however, would not be swayed.
He later told Barbers that he found the charges filed against him as being only for show.
Also on Wednesday, Senator Bong Revilla challenged the new PNP chief to make house cleaning in his organization a top priority.
The senator said “bad elements” in the police organization should be weeded out immediately.
While there were only a few bad eggs in the PNP, Revilla said Acorda should immediately get rid of them so they cannot corrupt others.
