PRRD to bare info on ‘ninja cops’ soon, Palace assures

FILE: President Rodrigo Roa Duterte delivers his speech during the oath-taking ceremony of the officers of the League of Vice Governors of the Philippines at the Malacañan Palace on September 10, 2019. ACE MORANDANTE/PRESIDENTIAL PHOTO

MANILA — President Rodrigo Duterte will release information on the alleged ninja cops syndicate as promised, Malacañang assured Monday.

Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo made this assurance after Senator Richard Gordon said the Senate will let the President do the honor of being the first to bare information on ninja cops ahead of the joint committee hearing on the recycling of illegal drugs.

Panelo, however, said he had no knowledge about when Duterte would release information regarding police personnel involved in the recycling of seized illegal drugs.

Duterte is scheduled to visit Moscow, Russia for a second time this week upon the invitation of Russian President Vladimir Putin.

“Ah, hindi ko alam. Basta (I don’t know. But) he said he will, so he will,” Panelo said in a Palace briefing.

Gordon, chair of the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee, is authorized to divulge information disclosed by Baguio City Mayor Benjamin Magalong on the list of policemen involved in drug recycling.

Magalong is former chief of the Philippine National Police’s (PNP) Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG).

Last week, Panelo said that the ninja cops syndicate has been dismantled, according to the Philippine National Police (PNP).

Panelo said PNP chief, Gen. Oscar Albayalde, bared this after briefing President Duterte on the status of the campaign against illegal drugs.

“He (Albayalde) told me that he updated the President on the status of the drug war; he told him about the so-called ninja cops syndicate and revealed to the President that that ninja cops syndicate is a thing of the past – that happened during the previous years of the previous administration,” Panelo said.

“That has been dismantled during the term of former PNP Chief General, now Senator Ronald dela Rosa and during his term,” he added.

While the ninja cops syndicate has been wiped out, Panelo said police scalawags remain.