Sacked Bacolod police execs assured of due process

Albayalde said the relief of Senior Supt. Francis Ebreo and four other police officers did not mean that they are already guilty. (PNA file photo by Joey O. Razon)

MANILA — Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Director General Oscar Albayalde on Monday assured there would be due process in the cases of the Bacolod City police chief and four other cops relieved by President Rodrigo R. Duterte for their alleged involvement in illegal drugs.

Albayalde said the relief of Senior Supt. Francis Ebreo and four other police officers did not mean that they are already guilty.

The four others are Supt. Allan Macapagal, deputy city director for operation; Supt. Ritchie Yatar, chief of City Mobile Force Company; Supt. Nassrudin Tayuan, former team leader of the City Drug Enforcement Unit; and Senior Insp. Victor Paulino, former chief of Police Station 3, who was re-assigned to the City Mobile Force Company last month.

He said the policemen would be given due process and clarified that their relief is pending the result of an investigation that is administrative in nature.

“We will give them due process. Hindi naman porke na-relieve sila they were already guilty. It’s an administrative relief pending the result of an investigation. Hindi naman (He’s not) outright dismissed from the service,” Albayalde told reporters at a briefing in Camp Crame.

Albayalde added that Ebreo was not on the PNP’s drugs watchlist and neither that of the President’s.

“As far as I am concerned, wala siya sa (he’s not in the) PNP watchlist. Wala rin siya sa list ni (He’s not also in the list of) President Rodrigo Duterte,” he said.

The relieved police officials were told to report to the Regional Personnel Holding and Accounting Unit at the PRO-6 headquarters in Iloilo City.

Albayalde said Duterte, as the commander-in-chief, has his own sources of information.

“If that is the wisdom of the president kailangan implement natin ‘yun (we need to implement that),” Albayalde said.

He also said even if the intelligence information about Ebreo’s alleged illegal activities is not valid, if Duterte ordered to uproot him from his post, no one could do anything but heed the President’s instruction.

“That is a specific order coming from no less than the Commander-in-Chief himself, more than the PNP chief,” Albayalde said.

Albayalde said he received information from Chief Supt. John Bulalacao, director of Police Regional Office-6, that Ebreo has been performing well as the commander of the Bacolod police.

“Based on the discussion with the RD [regional director], PD [city police director] is very snappy. We will see,” Albayalde said.

Albayalde said they have yet to gather concrete evidence to prove claims that the policemen were linked to illegal drug activities.

“But then again sabi ko nga (like I’ve said), before we comment on this we have to validate and investigate this thoroughly. Hindi natin alam baka hindi lang sila ang involved din dito (We don’t know probably, they’re not the only ones involved here) ,” he said.

Meanwhile, Bulalacao said he has designated Senior Supt. Henry Biñas as officer-in-charge of the Bacolod police effective Sunday.