Duterte to reveal names of ninja-cops ‘soon’: Go

FILE: President Rodrigo Roa Duterte delivers his speech during the oath-taking ceremony of the newly promoted officers of the Philippine National Police at the Malacañan Palace on August 8, 2019. KING RODRIGUEZ/PRESIDENTIAL PHOTO

MANILA — Senator Christopher “Bong” Go on Tuesday said President Rodrigo Duterte would announce “soon” the names of cops allegedly involved in the recycling of seized illegal drugs.

Go said the President is still consolidating and validating the list of cops engaged in drug recycling but assured that the names would be revealed at the soonest possible time.

“Sabi niya kailangan malaman ng publiko iyan and soon I think he would personally announce. Importante po si Pangulo magsasabi. Sabi nya karapatan po malaman ng Pilipino kung sino ang mga ito (He said the public should know about [these cops] and soon I think he would personally announce. It is important that the President makes the announcement. He said the Filipinos have the right to know about this),” Go told reporters in an interview.

Go said Duterte still offers the reward money for the head of each so-called “ninja cop”.

“Andyan pa rin ang reward. PHP1 million sa ninja cops pag patay, pag buhay kalahating milyon, pag lumaban PHP2 million (The reward money is still there. PHP1 million for dead ninja cops, PHP500,000 for those who are still alive, and PHP2 million for those who fought back),” Go said.

Former Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) and now Baguio City mayor Benjamin Magalong reportedly identified the cops and police officials involved in the recycling of illegal drugs in an executive hearing in the Senate last week

In a Senate budget hearing also last week, Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) Director General Aaron Aquino admitted that recycling of seized illegal drugs remains rampant and that the anti-narcotics operatives use the drugs to either sell them or use them as planted evidence in bogus operations.