Albayalde denies ‘selective cleansing’ among ranks in PNP

MANILA, Philippines — Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Gen. Oscar Albayalde denied Wednesday that there is “selective cleansing” among their ranks.

Albayalde was reacting to Baguio City Mayor Benjamin Magalong’s statement during Tuesday’s Senate hearing on “ninja cops” or policemen who pilfer and sell seized drugs during operations. Magalong, a former chief of the PNP-Criminal Investigation and Detection Group, criticized the internal cleansing being made by the national police especially after the 13 policemen involved in the controversial November 2013 illegal anti-drug operation in Mexico, Pampanga, even managed to get high positions in PNP.

READ: Ex-CIDG chief Magalong hits ‘selective cleansing’ in PNP 

But Albayalde explained:  “Ako po ay umupo na Chief PNP noong April 2018, the only time na na-transfer sila [13 policemen] sa iba’t-ibang regions, which we do with everybody, ay noong August because meron akong natanggap na sulat coming from the court invoking section 91 of [Republic Act No.] 9165, hindi mo pwede tanggalin ang law enforcer sa jurisdiction [of a court] when they are witnesses of two cases of illegal drugs,” Albayalde told dzBB in an interview on Wednesday.

(When I became Chief PNP in 2018, the only time that they [13 policemen] were  transferred to various regions, which we do with everybody, was last August because I received a letter coming from the court invoking section 91 of [Republic Act No.] 9165, you cannot remove a law enforcer from the jurisdiction [of a court] when they  are witnesses of two cases of illegal drugs.)

“But just the same, ‘di ko pinagbigyan ang court dun kahit ang request ng court na ilagay sila sa Region III (I did not yield to the court even if the court’s request was to place them at Region 3 ). But what we did instead ibalik sila ikalat sila sa (was to distribute them to) [Region I] and [Region] IV,” he added.

Albayalde also said of receiving a memorandum that puts the 13 suspected ninja cops under strict monitoring.

‘Misses his family’

Albayalde later turned emotional as he disclosed how much his family is being affected by the controversy.

“I miss my family so much, ‘yung family ko talagang apektado [my family is really affected]. Kailangan ko sila makausap, ‘di ko sila kasama ngayon pero kailangan ko makausap ‘yung pamilya [I need to talk to them, they are not with me right now but I still need to talk to them],” Albayalde said.

The 13 policemen involved in the controversial Pampanga buy-bust operation were found guilty of grave misconduct for failing to account for all seized drug evidence from the raid. Albayalde was the Pampanga police director when the anti-drug operation was conducted. /kga