MANILA, Philippines — Amid fresh allegations on the existence of “ninja cops” or police officers who recycle illegal drugs confiscated in operations, the Philippine National Police (PNP) said Tuesday it is ready to again subject its members to lifestyle checks.
PNP spokesperson Brig. Gen. Bernard Banac said the Internal Affairs Service (IAS) is conducting yearly lifestyle checks on all police officers, and that its latest lifestyle check was completed in April 2019.
“Kung muli, tayo po ay bibigyan ng kautusan para muling sumailalim dito ay nakahanda po ang PNP (The PNP is ready if we will be given an order to again undergo lifestyle check),” he said in a press briefing at Camp Crame.
According to Banac, the lifestyle check on police officers is in accordance with Republic Act 3019 or the Anti-Graft and Corruption Practices and the Republic Act 6713 or the Act Establishing a Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees.
He said that the lifestyle check also cover high-ranking officials of the PNP including PNP chief Gen. Oscar Albayalde.
So far, the PNP has not spotted any possible violations of police officers to existing laws based on their lifestyle, said Banac.
“Subalit kung may mga ulat tayong matatanggap at reklamo na diumano’y labis ang lifestyle ng isang pulis, nakahanda po ang PNP palagi na imbestigahan ang ganitong mga ulat,” he pointed out.
(But if we receive reports and complaints that police officers are having lavish lifestyle, the PNP is ready to investigate these reports.)
He said this willingness of the PNP to again undergo lifestyle check is in response to the pronouncement of Malacañang agreeing that police officers should undergo a review of their lifestyle amid the controversy on drug recycling.
READ:Palace OK with lifestyle check in PNP amid ‘ninja cops’ controversy
It was Senator Richard Gordon, chair of the Senate committee on justice that leads the investigation on “ninja cops,” who proposed that Albayalde and 13 policemen involved in a 2013 anti-drug operation in Pampanga should undergo a lifestyle check to determine if they had benefited from the controversial drug sting.
The police officers are currently under restrictive custody at the Personnel and Holding Accounting Unit in Camp Crame to ensure their availability for further Senate hearings and the review of their administrative cases by the PNP-Directorate for Investigation and Detective Management.
Police Major Rodney Baloyo, who led the operation, meanwhile was detained at the New Bilibid Prison in Muntinlupa City after he was cited for contempt at the Senate hearing on Thursday for supposedly lying under oath. /muf