THE chief of the PNP Drug Enforcement Group (PDEG) and other PDEG officials are heeding the call of Interior Secretary Benjamin Abalos Jr. to take a leave of absence pending a wider probe on the seizure of 990 kilos of shabu worth P6.7 billion in Manila last October.
PDEG Director Brig. Gen. Narciso Domingo faced the media yesterday to deny insinuations that he and his men covered up the arrest of now dismissed police Master Sergeant Rodolfo Mayo Jr., the alleged owner of the seized drugs.
Last Monday night, Abalos urged 10 police officials, including Domingo and former PNP deputy chief for operations Lt. Gen. Benjamin Santos Jr., to go on leave of absence pending the probe.
Abalos gave the officers one week to go on leave. Otherwise, he said he will be forced to issue an order suspending them.
Domingo said he and the other PDEG officers mentioned by Abalos will submit their leave of absence with the PNP Directorate for Personnel and Records Management.
“Right after this (media interview), we will be filing our leave of absence as directed and we will cooperate with whatever investigation the NAPOLCOM (National Police Commission) is conducting),” said Domingo.
The other officers that Abalos asked to take leave of absences were Col. Julian Olonan, chief of the PDEG Special Operations Unit (SOU) Region 4A (Calabarzon); Capt. Jonathan Sosongco, a team leader from the PDEG SOU Region 4A; Lt. Col. Arnulfo Ibañez, officer-in-charge of PDEG SOU National Capital Region; Maj. Michael Angelo Salmingo, deputy chief of PDEG SOU NCR; Lt. Col. Glenn Gonzales of the Quezon City Police District; Lt. Ashrap Amerol, intelligence officer of PDEG Intelligence and Foreign Liaison Division; Lt. Col. Harry Lorenzo, Manila Police District Moriones Station Commander; and Capt. Randolph Piñon, chief of PDEG SOU 4A Intelligence Section.
The 10 were caught on video during the raid conducted at WPD Lending, a money lending firm owned by Mayo in Tondo, Manila on the afternoon of October 8, a Saturday.
Some of the officials were seen at the lending firm even before 4:45 p.m., when authorities declared that the establishment had been raided and 990 kilos of shabu had been found.
Santos arrived at the area at around 6:51 p.m. while Domingo came in at around 3:59 p.m.
In the video, Mayo was already in handcuffs. He was also seen to have been brought in and out of the establishment a few times aboard his sports utility vehicle.
Mayo was later uncuffed and released, only to be arrested early the next day allegedly at the Quezon Bridge in Quiapo, Manila. During that arrest, he reportedly yielded two kilos of shabu worth P13.6 million.
A video presentation last Monday night prepared by the DILG showed Gonzales asking Domingo why Mayo was not included in the inventory conducted after the raid at WPD Lending.
“He (Domingo) replied, ‘alam na ni Chief PNP ‘yan,” the presentation noted, adding Gonzales later reported the matter to then Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency chief Wilkins Villanueva.
At 9 p.m. of October 8, the presentation said Mayo suddenly became an arresting officer in a different anti-drug case based on a spot report. An after-operation report dated October 13 showed Mayo was among the police personnel recommended to receive an award for the accomplishment.
The next day at around 2:30 a.m., Mayo was reported to have been arrested in a hot pursuit operation at Quezon Bridge, Quezon Boulevard, in Quiapo, Manila. Seized from him was two kilos of shabu.
Citing an investigation conducted by a fact-finding board from the NAPOLCOM, Abalos said “it shows that there is indeed a massive attempt to cover up the arrest of Sergeant Mayo.”
Abalos, in his capacity as NAPOLCOM chairman, ordered the creation of the fact-finding board. He said the board, headed by NAPOLCOM vice chairman Alberto Bernardo, gathered evidence, including the video, and interviewed witnesses during the conduct of the probe.
“At a glance, the video will show a different scenario as compared with the narration of facts as stated in the reports submitted by the PNP, including the documents attached to the case filed in court, and the testimonies given by some PNP officers during the congressional hearings in March 20, 2023,” said Abalos.
“I need not explain further because the tape showed how it was covered up. This is just some of the evidence in our possession. This corroborates, strengthens the testimonies (of witnesses) we gathered,” he said.
To preserve the evidence, Abalos said he wants all the officers seen in the video to take a leave of absence, “otherwise we will be constrained to issue appropriate orders for their preventive suspension, pending the investigation.”
“In the interest of protecting the integrity of the investigation, we deemed it necessary, we agreed (to ask the officers) to go on leave, pending investigation,” said Abalos, adding the board has not yet interviewed Santos.
“To ensure the integrity of our investigation, we deemed it proper to ask them to take a leave of absence, so that the evidence will not be affected. That is the purpose here,” said Abalos.
Santos was replaced as PNP deputy chief for operations last February by former National Capital Region Police director Maj. Gen. Jonnel Estomo.
Santos is currently assigned with the office of PNP chief Gen. Rodolfo Azurin Jr.
Asked if Santos was replaced as PNP deputy chief for operations in February due to the NAPOLCOM investigation, Abalos said: “I will answer that issue later.”
Yesterday, Domingo said the video used in the presentation came from PDEG.
“That came from us, that’s why it hurt our feelings because we’re the ones who reported it to higher headquarters, what really happened, and this happened to us. It was made to appear that we connived. I still believe that most PDEG personnel, possibly 99.9 percent, are upright, they’re doing what’s right,” said Domingo.
In a statement, the PNP said it supports Abalos’ decision for a deeper probe on the seizure of 990 kilos of shabu.
It also supported Abalos’ call for the 10 officers to take a leave of absence, adding: “We believe that such is the most prudent thing to do by said officers to prevent them from influencing the investigation at any stage.”
The PNP said it will tolerate any wrongdoing of any PNP personnel regardless of rank and position.
“We will respect the proceedings and abide by the directives of the NAPOLCOM and other constituted authorities in this matter,” it said.
“Be that as it may, the PNP is firm in its commitment and oath to be an organization clothed with integrity and worthy of the people’s trust and confidence,” it added.
‘MASSIVE COVER-UP’
Surigao del Norte Rep. Robert Ace Barbers, chair of the House committee on dangerous drugs, corroborated the statement of Abalos that there was a “massive attempt to cover up” Mayo’s arrest on drug-related charges during a raid last October.
“The committee on dangerous drugs has been conducting its own investigation on this incident involving dismissed cop Mayo and other ranking police officers. We have unearthed evidence, testimonial and documentary as well as authentic CCTV footage that revealed the damning truth and the real story behind several incidents that were peddled by some scalawags,” Barbers said in a statement.
He commended Abalos for being “firm in cleansing the ranks of our national police.” He said the House of Representatives will support the DILG in strengthening law enforcement units to ensure the safety and protection of the people.
“Indeed, there is much truth of a massive attempt to exonerate Sgt. Mayo and other personalities involved in the raid and/or connected to him. Soon these pieces of evidence will unravel and reveal the real story. While we cannot prosecute, we are empowered to endorse our findings to all relevant agencies and the proper courts to take action, as well as enact remedial legislation to ensure that the incident will not be repeated,” Barbers said. — With Wendell Vigilia
