PNP chief Gen. Rodolfo Azurin Jr. yesterday said “scalawags” may be blindsiding Interior Secretary Benjamin Abalos Jr., through misinformation, in the campaign against illegal drugs.
Azurin made the remarks as he denied Abalos’ claim of a “massive attempt” to cover up the arrest of now-dismissed Philippine Drug Enforcement Group operative M/Sgt. Rodolfo Mayo Jr.
Mayo was arrested by PDEG operatives on October 9 last year in Quiapo, Manila with two kilos of shabu worth P13.6 million. He was nabbed a day after his money lending firm in Tondo, Manila was raided. Seized during the raid were 990 kilos of shabu worth P6.7 billion.
Last week, Abalos urged 10 PNP officials, including two generals, to tender their leave of absence after exposing a “massive attempt” to cover up Mayo’s arrest.
Abalos based his appeal on an investigation conducted by the National Police Commission (NAPOLCOM) last month after he was “dissatisfied” with the probe of the PNP’s Special Investigation Task Group (SITG) 990 into the October anti-drug operation.
The officers urged to take a leave of absence included former PNP deputy chief for operations Lt. Gen. Benjamin Santos Jr., currently assigned with the office of the PNP chief; and Brig. Gen. Narciso Domingo, who took a leave of absence as PDEG director in response to Abalos’ call, only to be relieved from his post later.
Last Sunday, the SITG 990 disclosed several recommendations, among them the filing of criminal and administrative charges against 49 PDEG personnel, including Domingo, for various offenses committed during the operation.
“Contrary to what many of our critics say, let me also categorically say that there was no attempt to cover up or exculpate police M/Sgt. Rodolfo Mayo from his involvement in the illegal drug operation,” said Azurin, adding the PNP formed the SITG 990 to dig deeper into the operation.
“The SITG’s findings will prove wrong the critics’ claim that there was an attempt to derail the investigation,” Azurin said as he urged Abalos to “focus on the real enemy,” which is illegal drugs.
“Let me call the attention also of our kind SILG (secretary of interior and local government), the honorable Benjamin Benhur Abalos Jr. to take a second look on the people who may be feeding him misinformation to cast doubts on the integrity of the PNP organization, which is also under his authority,” said Azurin.
Azurin said he supports Abalos’ efforts in the fight against erring personnel in the PNP but “let us not lose focus on the real enemy here which is shabu and the drug syndicates.
“In the proper forum I can share this information to the SILG so that he can help us also in going after some scalawags who could be blindsiding him and some officials of the government in the anti-drug campaign,” said Azurin.
Azurin said the PNP, under his watch, was able to identify PNP personnel involved in illegal drugs. He said the PNP is going after erring personnel supposedly involved in the “recycling” of illegal drugs.
“Saying we opened a can of worms is an understatement. One cannot fathom the extent how illegal drugs have infiltrated the high echelons of our society,” said Azurin.
Azurin said Santos went to the raided lending firm on October 8 on his instruction to supervise the inventory of the seized illegal drugs.
He said accusing Santos of covering up the arrest of Mayo was “very unfair.”
Azurin said he knows Domingo as a “too honest” police officer. He said he assigned Domingo as PDEG director last year because “I am certain Gen. Domingo has no involvement with drugs, he is not tainted.”
Azurin said Domingo was hurt by allegations that he was involved in the cover up in the arrest of Mayo. He said Domingo provided evidence, including a closed-circuit television video used by the SITG 990 in its investigation.
Nevertheless, Azurin said Domingo has to answer the findings of the SITG 990, referring to the recommendation to charge Domingo criminally and administratively for lapses committed during the operation.
“It’s very unfair because we are accusing generals (of cover-up). Based on what evidence? Benjie Santos was there because I directed him to go there to supervise, give instructions during the inventory (of the seized drugs),” said Azurin.
“We are not saying don’t file charges against them but let us also try to respect, give them dignity because they earned that. Let us show proof before we even accuse,” said Azurin.
Asked about his working relationship with Abalos, Azurin said it’s “very professional.”
“We don’t let whatever differences we have affect our work,” he said.
Azurin said he and Abalos have the same objective, which is to address the country’s problem on illegal drugs.
“But definitely, he has his own strategy, tactics (and) I also have my own strategy, tactics. But we are moving towards that direction (solving the drug problem),” said Azurin.
Azurin also raised the issue on why large quantities of shabu “keep on popping up in the northern part of Luzon,” citing recent operations in the area, the most recent of which was 575 kilos of shabu worth nearly P4 billion seized in Baguio City.
“Is it not baffling that parcels of shabu keep on popping up around the country, particularly in the provinces up north despite the PNP Drug Enforcement Group’s supposedly relentless operation?” asked Azurin
“No less than some officials of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency had provided the PNP some intelligence and information on the alleged involvement of some erring personnel possibly engaged in recycling of illegal drugs. We are going after them,” he said.
‘DIG DEEPER’
Surigao del Norte Rep. Robert Ace Barbers, chair of the House committee on dangerous drugs, urged Abalos to dig deep into the alleged “double coverup” and “double recycling” attempts by police officers involved in last October’s drug bust in Manila.
Barbers explained that based on documents and video footages of the incident, the first of the “double coverup” attempt transpired when officers from the PNP Drug Enforcement Group (PNP-DEG) tried but failed to come up with a scheme to “free” Mayo purportedly to be “used” in a follow-up drug sting operation in Pasig City.
He said the second coverup attempt was when two officers from the PNP-DEG Special Operations Unit 4a — P/SMS Jerrywin Robosura and P/SMS Lorenzo Catarata — were captured in a CCTV footage loading two black bags containing shabu into a white car.
“At first, the reports said the bags only contain(ed) 30 kilos of shabu purportedly to be paid out to the PNP-DEG SOU 4a “assets.” It turned out the bags contain(ed) 42 kilos during an inventory, and if they succeeded to cover it up, Robosura and Catarata would have a ‘savings’ of 12 kilos of shabu,” Barbers said.
On the issue of what was believed to be a “double recycling” attempts, Barbers said two kilos of shabu, part of the more than 990 kilos of shabu under safekeeping and custody of Mayo, was reportedly seized from him during a drug buy-bust operation against the latter on same day on October 8, 2022.
The second attempt, he said, was the “stealing” of 42 kilos of shabu from inside Mayo’s WPD Lending office that was caught on CCTV video footage and which was declared officially as only 30 kilos purportedly to be paid out to PNP-DEG “assets,” leaving 12 kilos more of shabu as “savings.”
“First of all, Robusura and Catarata will not steal 42 kilos of shabu without the knowledge of superiors and colleagues. And if they don’t declare 42 kilos in the inventory, what will they do? They’ll probably recycle it, too,” Barbers said.
Barbers said Abalos was apparently “blinded,” if not “hoodwinked,” by his subordinates from the PNP on what really transpired on the ground during the drug raid.
Abalos led the October 10, 2022 press conference on the drug haul while he was still warming up his seat as the new interior secretary.
“Sec. Abalos at that time was made to believe that Mayo was arrested in a hot pursuit operation by PNP-DEG agents at Quezon Bridge, Quiapo, Manila for possession of two kilos of shabu. But based on CCTV video footages of the crime scene, it’s clear that it didn’t happen,” Barbers said. — With Wendell Vigilia
