THE former director of the PNP Drug Enforcement Group (PDEG) yesterday told the House committee on dangerous drugs that it was Lt. Col. Arnulfo Ibañez, the OIC of PDEG Special Operations Unit (SOU) National Capital Region (NCR), who wanted M/Sgt. Rodolfo Mayo Jr. freed after he was arrested for 990 kilos of shabu seized at his money lending firm in Tondo, Manila last October 8.
Brig. Gen. Narciso Domingo, who was recently relieved from his post following Interior Secretary Benjamin Abalos’ call for 10 police officials to tender their leave of absence after exposing a “massive attempt” to cover up Mayo’s arrest, made the revelation when the House hearing on the anomalous seizure of the P6.7 billion shabu at Mayo’s lending firm resumed.
Domingo named Ibañez on the questioning of Antipolo City Rep. Romeo Acop, a former police official, who asked him who brought up the scheme to “free” Mayo by using him in a follow-up drug sting operation in Pasig City, where a bigger amount of shabu was purportedly stashed.
The Pasig operation, however, only led to the serving of a warrant of arrest against Juden Francisco.
The hearing aims to unmask the “ninja cops” involved in the alleged “recycling” of illegal drugs or the modus of reselling the seized contrabands.
Ibañez, who has also been relieved from his post, denied Domingo’s allegation when pressed by Acop to directly answer the committee chaired by Surigao del Norte Rep. Robert Ace Barbers by saying “yes or no.”
“It was never my idea,” Ibañez initially told the panel, saying he, Col. Julian Olonan, chief of PNP Drug Enforcement Group (PDEG) Special Operations Unit (SOU) Region 4A and Domingo never discussed freeing Mayo, who appeared before the panel via zoom in detention at Camp Bagong Diwa in Taguig City for the criminal charges he is facing.
Mayo, who was freed on October 8 but later arrested by PDEG operatives the following day in Quiapo, Manila with two kilos of shabu worth P6.7 million, refused to answer questions and repeatedly invoked his right against self-incrimination.
Rep. France Castro said there was clearly an attempt to cover up by coming up with a scheme to “free” Mayo purportedly to be “used” in a follow-up drug operation in Pasig City.
“Apparently nililito tayo ng mga taga-PNP (We’re apparently being misled by PNP officials),” said Castro. “Hinayaan mo si Sgt. Mayo na gamitin sa Pasig operation na apparently hindi naman vinerify na talagang may mas malaki pa (na shabu haul sa) Pasig. Ginamit lang na drama para makawala si Mayo (You allowed Sgt. Mayo to be used in the Pasig operation, which, apparently, was not verified if there was really a huge haul there. It was just used as drama to free Mayo.”
Ibañez said he could not have freed Mayo himself because he had no power to do it and “it was not even my command; I was not the ground commander and I had no authority to do it.”
It was Olonan’s unit that conducted the operation but Ibañez said he was instructed by Domingo to go to the crime scene since it involved one of his men, Mayo.
“It’s in my affidavit, I told him (Domingo) I have lost my face to you, sir, because that’s one of my men. I felt like I wanted to distance myself,” he said.
Ibañez said after conducting what he first called a “tactical interrogation” and later an “interview” with Mayo inside an SUV, he said it was agreed upon by officials that Mayo will be used in a follow-up operation against (Juden) Francisco, who allegedly had a stash of 700 kilos of shabu based on an intelligence report.
When asked where Mayo got that much supply of shabu, Ibañez said: “Siguro makakasagot lang nyan si Sgt. Mayo, sabi ko personally wala po akong idea sa story behind (Perhaps only Sgt. Mayo can answer that, I’ve already said that I have no idea as to the story behind it.”
Lt. Col. Glenn Gonzales of the Quezon City Police District said he went to the scene after Ibañez, his friend and classmate, sought his help and advised him to help Mayo by using him in a “joint operation” in Pasig.
He, however, said he was surprised that Mayo was no longer presented as a suspect since it was not part of the plan to completely absolve him from his involvement.
“Nagtataka ako umalis si Mayo (I was surprised that Mayo walked),” he said. “Ang sabi ni Gen. Domingo ‘di na kailangan i-present si Mayo, alam na ni (then) PNP chief (Rodolfo Azurin).”
Olona begged to differ, saying that while he did not know Gonzales’ intention, he can assure the panel that only the details of the follow-up operation in Pasig City were discussed.
Domingo also cried foul: “Pilit sinisira ni Gonzales operation natin (Gonzales is trying hard to destroy our operation).”
Domingo said drug syndicates have “succeeded” in putting the blame on law enforcers and told the panel that he is “afraid (that) the biggest drug haul so far of the government now pending in court will be dismissed and one morning we will wake up looking at Sgt. Mayo going out of jail because of these proceedings.”
Acop immediately objected to the statement: “No! It is because of what you did. Not us. I take exception to that statement and let it be of record.”
Barbers said if cases will be dismissed against the personalities involved, “it is not this committee (that) was instrumental in the dismissal of such cases.”
Domingo apologized to the panel, saying that “Mayo may use this proceeding in his defense in court and the court may subpoena these proceedings to prove that the timeline of events submitted to the court is different.”
Acop told Domingo to assume responsibility as a police official, stressing that “the report on timelines came from you, not from us.”
The Antipolo lawmaker said it boggles his mind how a non-commissioned officer like Mayo could have a stash of illegal drugs worth P6.7 billion.
“I do not know if the PNP or the authorities in charge of these are alarmed by the fact that a non-commissioned officer of the PNP has in his possession one ton of illegal drugs,” he said. “In the case of sergeant Mayo, wala akong makita na Chinese man lang (there wasn’t even a Chinese personality involved and) he has in his possession one ton of illegal drugs.
Saan kaya nanggaling ‘yun? Hindi ko alam kung iniimbestigahan ng PNP ‘yun (Where did that come from? I don’t know if the PNP is investigating that),” he said.
Barbers said that based on the narration of police officials, the shabu was only “somewhat accidentally discovered during a follow-up at the WPD Lending office (in Tondo, Manila).”
“Isang tonelada ‘yung hawak niya e. Baka mas malaki pa siya doon sa Instik na drug lord na nahuhuli natin minsan (He has a ton of shabu in possession. He seems to be bigger than the Chinese drug lords that we sometimes catch,” he said.
