INTERIOR Secretary Eduardo Año yesterday said hearings on the administrative charges slapped against the 13 Pampanga ninja cops will be completed in 45 days.
Año, who chairs the National Police Commission, assured that the erring policemen will be given due process during the deliberations by the Summary Hearing Board which has been already convened.
The 13 policemen are facing administrative charges before the Napolcom based on the recently-completed investigation by the DILG-Napolcom on the November 2013 sham anti-narcotics raid they conducted on the house of a suspected high-profile Chinese drug lord in Mexico, Pampanga.
The DILG-Napolcom excluded then Pampanga police chief and resigned PNP chief Gen. Oscar Albayalde from the administrative cases despite finding him liable for command responsibility for the operation.
Pending the resolution of the administrative cases against the 13 policemen, the DILG said the ninja cops will be placed under “restrictive custody” at Camp Crame.
Four of the 13 police officers have already been ordered dismissed by the PNP for a recent “ninja-type” drugs operation in Antipolo City in Rizal.
Año said they will pursue the administrative charges against the policemen because their earlier dismissal is still subject to appeal.
“The filing of new administrative charges against these ninja cops is in light of new evidence gathered by the joint DILG-Napolcom Review Committee as well as those that came out during the Senate Investigation,” Año said.
On the non-pursuit of administrative charges against Albayalde, Año said: “Albayalde is liable for command responsibility, that is why he was relieved as Pampanga provincial director in 2014. However, since he already relinquished his post as chief PNP, he can no longer be relieved of his position at this time.”
Año said the President has given the guidance to pursue the administrative charges against the 13 ninja cops based on the recommendation of the DILG-Napolcom investigation report.
“For the criminal cases against Albayalde et al, he leaves it to the Department of Justice and the Office of the Ombudsman,” he said.
