A SENATE panel yesterday cited in contempt former police Master Sgt. Rodolfo Mayo, Lt. Col. Arnulfo Ibanez and six other policemen for refusing to cooperate on the ongoing probe on the alleged coverup involving 990 kilos of shabu seized in Tondo, Manila last October.
Sen. Raffy Tulfo first moved to cite in contempt Ibanez, a team leader of the PNP Drug Enforcement Group, for repeatedly insisting that he didn’t know the activities of Mayo, who is his subordinate.
It can be recalled that it was Ibanez who requested Mayo to be assigned to the PDEG even as the latter was assigned in Mindanao, included in former President Duterte’s drug watchlist.
Tulfo tried to squeeze information from Ibanez about Mayo’s activities but the police officer claimed he had no knowledge of his subordinate’s activities.
Tulfo doubted Ibanez’s claim, saying he should have been monitoring his subordinate’s activities.
In moving to cite Ibanez for contempt, Tulfo said he wanted to give Ibanez “a dose of his own medicine,” noting that cops are notorious for detaining individuals who they think are lying.
“When they subject a person to interrogation that they think is involved in a crime even without evidence, they immediately book them. They will say that ‘you are a liar’ while throwing them in jail. Why not show our poor countrymen that we are fair in the Senate? If they can jail a suspect whom they suspect of lying, we can also do that to them,” Tulfo said.
Tulfo added that Mayo is “good” but Ibanez is “better” since he brought him to the PDEG.
“Therefore, if you are better than this guy (Mayo), he will not slip past your monitoring.
Now, you’re telling us you don’t know anything about his activities? For me, that’s a big, big lie and nobody will believe you. Who will believe you when it was you who recommended Mayo (to be assigned to the PDEG) and could be in possession of 990 kilos of shabu on his own?” Tulfo said.
“Police Lt. Col. Arnulfo Ibanez, sir, you are lying and it hurts us here in this committee that you are lying before us, and this is the reason why I suggest this committee cite you in contempt,” Tulfo said.
Sen. Ronald dela Rosa, chairman of the Committee on Public Order and Dangerous Drugs, approved Tulfo’s motion after hearing no objection from the senators present during the hearing.
Tulfo said Ibanez should also be held equally liable for Mayo’s illegal activities under the principle of command responsibility.
Sen. Robin Padilla then moved to cite Mayo in contempt for consistently invoking his right to remain silent when asked by the committee members about the circumstances surrounding the seized 990 kilos of shabu.
Dela Rosa also approved Padilla’s motion but clarified that Mayo is still under the custody of the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology. He will be transferred to the custody of the Senate sergeant-at-arms if the cases against him are dismissed by the court.
Sen. Jose “Jinggoy” Estrada asked Ibanez who were with him when they conducted the operation against Mayo on Bambang St. in Sta. Cruz, Manila on October 8 last year, after it came out in the Senate investigation that Mayo was actually arrested in that area.
Ibanez said he was with Patrolman Joe Marie Cristobal, M/Sgt. Carlo Bayeta, Patrolman Dennis Carolino, Patrolman Rommar Bugarin, Patrolman Hassan Kalaw, and Patrolman Hustin Peter Gular.
The six, however, denied they were with Ibanez at that time.
Pressed by Estrada, the six gave conflicting answers and then invoked their right to remain silent, saying a gag order has been issued by a court since they are vital witnesses to Mayo’s arrest.
Dela Rosa reminded the cops that the sub-judice ruling does not apply in the Senate hearing.
He also said he has information the cops asked a court to issue a gag order so they cannot be forced to tell what they know of the operation.
“The sub judice ruling is not applicable here in the Senate hearing. You will not be cited in contempt by the court…You asked the court to issue a gag order because you don’t want the truth to come out,” he added.
Estrada then moved to cite the six cops in contempt, which Dela Rosa approved.
All the cops cited were ordered to be taken by the Senate sergeant-at-arms before Dela Rosa suspended the hearing.
Padilla, meanwhile, moved to lift the contempt order on Police Capt. Jonathan Sosongco, who was cited last week for refusing to identify the informant that led to the arrest of Mayo.
Sosongco told the panel that he had told Dela Rosa that there was really no informant in that operation.
Estrada said Sosongco has to tell the truth as to who the informant was and objected to Padilla’s motion until Sosongco revealed the identity of the informant.
National Police Commission vice chairman Alberto Bernardo said the operation against Mayo was supposedly well-planned, noting the CCTV footage taken from the WPD Lending Firm where Mayo was reportedly arrested and where the pilferage of shabu was conducted.
Bernardo said he cannot disclose the investigation conducted further by SITG 990 so as not to compromise its results. He said the SITG 990 will focus on the source of the 990 kilos of shabu seized from Mayo.
“When the case against Mayo is over, it will appear that there will be a cover-up because how did he accumulate that one ton of shabu, the process, and who were involved? We are digging deeper and we cannot disclose yet our findings,” Bernardo said.
Dela Rosa said the committee has found substantial basis to conclude there was a real attempt to cover up the involvement of Mayo in illegal drug activities.
“For me, it is an attempt to cover up. It was not fully consummated by the fact that in the end Mayo was also charged,” Dla Rosa said.
Bernardo said the Napolcom is eyeing to file more charges against Mayo, including obstruction of justice and graft, adding they will also re-train their sights on the financial crimes of Mayo and all the cops involved.
Dela Rosa said he has information that Mayo has been sending money to a number of retired individuals. He did not identify them.
He said some of the cops involved are co-depositors in offshore bank accounts with Chinese-sounding names as the main depositors.
“And we can see who are the people Mayo is sending money to. There are even retired (individuals) being sent money and that should be brought out in the open, that’s why the AMLC has a big role here,” he added.
