THE PNP yesterday lashed back at a retired general who said the planting of evidence case filed against him and others over the controversial 2022 anti-drug operation in Manila may lead to the exoneration of the primary suspect in the case.
In a press briefing at Camp Crame, PNP spokesperson Brig. Gen. Jean Fajardo shared the concern aired by retired Brig. Gen. Narciso Domingo, former chief of the PNP Drug Enforcement Group, that the case against Staff Sergeant Rodolfo Mayo Jr. may end up getting dismissed.
Last Friday, Domingo posted a video on his Facebook account lashing out at current and former government officials for the alleged injustice committed against him and others.
Domingo urged President Marcos Jr. to look into the miscarriage of justice.
Domingo alleged that Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla and National Police Commission Vice Chairman Ricardo Bernabe III accepted hook, line, and sinker the testimonies of Mayo and his bosses, who he said are the ones involved in illegal drugs.
Domingo warned that the planting of evidence case against them may lead to the dismissal of the case against Mayo. He said this is what drug syndicates want, referring to the freedom of Mayo.
Mayo owned the lending firm where 990 kilos of shabu worth P6.7 billion was found by police during a raid in Tondo, Manila in October 2022.
Mayo was set free after the raid. Police operatives declared they arrested him in a “follow-up” operation in Quiapo, Manila while in possession of two kilos of shabu worth P13.6 million.
Mayo and 29 other active and former policemen, including Domingo and former PNP deputy chief for operations Lt. Gen. Benjamin Santos, were charged with planting evidence and bungling the case.
The court has issued arrest warrants against the 29 other accused.
Fajardo said another policeman, T/Sgt. Arnold Tibay, was arrested last January 31, bringing to 21 the number of policemen now in the custody of authorities.
“So we are only accounting only eight, including Gen. Narcisco Domingo,” said Fajardo, who reiterated her appeal to the at-large suspects to surrender and face the charges against them.
“We appeal to the remaining eight former and active PNP personnel to respect the rule of law. Anyway, they will be given their day in court. They will be given the opportunity to answer the charges against them. It would be in their best interest to just surrender and face the music,” added Fajardo.
“Well, there is a possibility (the charges against Mayo will be dismissed) because they staged the arrest of Sergeant Mayo,” Fajardo said, referring to Domingo and the other accused policemen.
Fajardo said that if the policemen had not committed such acts, there wouldn’t be a risk the case against Mayo would be dismissed.
“They should have thought of this at the start, before the incident because the CCTV (closed-circuit television) footage cannot really lie,” said Fajardo.
The CCTV footage showed Mayo being handcuffed during the raid at the lending firm, only to be released later. The video also showed several policemen taking a portion of the drug haul.
“We should be the ones throwing that question to Gen. Domingo. Why did they allow those incidents to happen in the first place,” said Fajardo.
On allegations that drug syndicates were involved in the eventual release of Mayo, Fajardo said: “We’ll, that’s their allegation. As we said, they (Domingo and his co-accused) will be given the opportunity to answer the complaints but the video itself would speak for itself.
“They are trying to depict that syndicates are involved but in the first place, they should have not allowed this (controversy) to happen. They should have executed the arrest properly,” said Fajardo.
Fajardo said Mayo was obviously arrested during the raid at the lending firm but cops involved in the raid reported that Mayo was arrested in another area.
“This is clearly, is obviously a clear attempt on their part to cover up what really transpired on that day,” said Fajardo.