ONE of the 29 policemen ordered arrested by a Manila City court over the controversial 2022 drug raid that led to the recovery of P6.7 billion worth of shabu has left the country, the PNP said yesterday.
The cop, a retired general, left last January 8, more than a week before the court issued the arrest warrant against him and the rest, PNP spokesperson Brig. Gen. Jean Fajardo told a press briefing at Camp Crame.
Fajardo did not identify the general.
Two of the 29 policemen ordered arrested are retired generals, namely, former PNP AFP deputy chief for operations Lt. Gen. Benjamin Santos and former PNP Drug Enforcement Group chief Brig. Gen. Narciso Domingo.
“He went out (of the country) last January 8, prior to the issuance of the warrant of arrest,” Fajardo said, citing information from the Bureau of Immigration.
“I am not privy where he went but I was advised he left the country last January 8 prior to the issuance of the warrant of arrest,” Fajardo said, adding the PNP is considering coordinating with the Interpol to bring the accused to the bar of justice.
“Since he has a warrant of arrest, we can explore other options of coordinating with Interpol. As a matter of practice, we can apply for a Red Notice to inform them (Interpol) as to the country where he went so that our counterparts can help us in accounting for this one person who went out of the country,” said Fajardo.
Eight other policemen ordered arrested are at-large – four still in active service and four others who have either retired or dismissed, resigned or dismissed from the service.
Fajardo said the PNP will not stop its efforts “until we are able to account for the remaining nine,” urging them to surrender and answer the charges against them.
“I think it would be in their best interest to surrender… so that they will be given the opportunity to answer the charges against them,” Fajardo said.
Fajardo said 20 of the 29 are already in the custody of authorities – nine are detained with the PNP Custodial Center at Camp Crame, 10 are with other PNP units, and one is at the Manila City Jail.
Of the 20 personnel under custody, 16 are still in active service.
NOT GUILTY PLEA
A Manila court yesterday entered a not guilty plea on behalf of Police MSgt. Rodolfo Mayo Jr. and several others accused of “staging” the P6.7 billion drug sting in Tondo, Manila in 2022.
This came after Mayo and his co-accused refused to enter pleas during their arraignment before Branch 175 of the Manila Regional Trial Court over the bungling of the prosecution and planting of evidence charges, citing pending motions questioning the charges and the issuance of warrants for their arrests.
Mayo and his co-accused, through their lawyers, refused to enter pleas during their arraignment conducted via video conference, citing pending motions to quash the charges and arrest warrants.
As a matter of procedure, the court entered a not-guilty plea on their behalf.
The court set the pre-trial of the case on February 14.
Mayo, already in custody, is detained at the Manila City Jail.
Aside from the ongoing trial at Branch 175, a second case for alleged mishandling of the investigation is being handled by Branch 44.
It was Branch 175 that issued the warrants originally against 30 policemen, with no bail recommended given the severity of the charges. But the court junked the charges against former Lt. Gen. Benjamin Santos Jr. for lack of probable cause.
Santos was the third-highest-ranking PNP official at the time of the alleged staged drug bust.
But Branch 44 ordered the arrest of Santos for allegedly mishandling the case under Section 92 of Republic Act 9165 or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002.
The court has set bail at P200,000 per respondent.
Last July, former Interior Secretary Benjamin “Benhur” Abalos Jr. said criminal complaints were filed against police officials involved in the “anomalous operation” led by Santos and more than 40 other police officers.
They were accused of violation of Republic Act 3019, the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices; RA 9165, RA9165; falsification; perjury; false testimony; malversation of public property under the Revised Penal Code, and obstruction of justice under Presidential Decree 1829. – With Ashzel Hachero
