‘Ninja’ cops hearing resumes; Albayalde tagged in complaint

FILE: “NINJA COPS” CONTROVERSY. Philippine National Police chief, General Oscar Albayalde, explains his side on the alleged involvement with “ninja cops” in the recycling of confiscated illegal drugs, during the Senate hearing on Wednesday (Oct. 9, 2019). (PNA photo by Avito C. Dalan)

MANILA — Embattled former Philippine National Police (PNP) Gen. Oscar Albayalde has been included in the charges filed against policemen who were allegedly involved in the reselling of seized illegal drugs in Pampanga six years ago.

During the resumption of the hearings on Monday at the Department of Justice, the PNP Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (PNP-CIDG) included Albayalde as respondent in its amended referral complaint dated October 21.

Albayalde, who was a former Pampanga police chief, was charged along with 13 of his former subordinates.

The reinvestigation would focus on the policemen’s alleged violation of Republic Act 9165 or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002, qualified bribery, falsification of public documents, perjury and dereliction of duty.

The case involved the supposed cover-up during the November 2013 buy-bust operation involving Johnson Lee, owner of the house in Woodbridge Subdivision, Lakeshore View, Pampanga raided by 13 members of the Provincial Anti-Illegal Drugs Special Operation Task Force of the Pampanga Provincial Police Office led by Maj. Rodney Baloyo IV.

The raid yielded a substantial amount of illegal drugs wherein involved cops allegedly pilfered some 160 kilos of shabu.