Active cops in P6.7-B drug case now under restrictive custody

Philippine National Police headquarters in Camp Crame

MANILA, Philippines — Philippine National Police spokesperson Col. Jean Fajardo announced on Monday that all active policemen linked to the 2022 drug case involving 900 kilos of shabu worth P6.7 billion are now under restrictive custody.

This comes as the National Prosecution Service (NPS) has filed cases for planting of evidence and delay and bungling in the prosecution of a drug case against 30 police officers.

Of the 30, Fajardo said only 22 remain as active police officers.

“PNP chief Marbil gave an instruction to his staff to put into restrictive custody and disarm these 22 active PNP personnel pending the possible issuance of warrants of arrest,” Fajardo said in a press conference.

As for the remaining respondents, three already opted for retirement, two retired “compulsory”, another two are dismissed, while another one has already resigned.

Fajardo said these eight former police officers could no longer face administrative raps since the PNP no longer has jurisdiction over them.

However, she said they could not get away with criminal charges, Fajardo noted.

In its resolution, the NPS said the police officers failed to conduct a lawful arrest of a police officer suspected of involvement in the drug trade and another individual, also for trading drugs.

The botched operations led to the arrest of Police Master Sergeant Rodolfo Mayo and Ney Atadero and the seizure of billions of pesos worth of shabu.

Atadero was reportedly  arrested on Oct. 8, 2022, in a buy-bust operation while Mayo was arrested on Oct. 9, 2022, in a hot pursuit operation that ended in Manila.

The police presented two kilograms of shabu as allegedly in the possession of Mayo.

NPS prosecutors, however, said that based on evidence, these two arrests were “simulated.”

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