Aggressive but honest police officials will be appointed as the top commander of towns or provinces where mayors or governors are tied to illegal drugs activities, Director General Ronald M. dela Rosa, chief of the Philippine National Police, declared.
Dela Rosa said police commanders who have the balls to defy and run after mayors and governors will soon be named with President Duterte’s list of local chief executives in the drug trade as the basis.
“We have not yet fully implemented it, but we will do that in due time,” said Dela Rosa.
The PNP chief said he will use Albuera, Leyte as pattern where the present police commander with a rank equivalent to lieutenant colonel in the military is now running after the armed groups of Mayor Rolando Espinosa.
Espinosa was tagged as a protector of illegal drugs, particularly his son Kerwin, who is reportedly the top supplier of shabu in Eastern Visayas. A day after his surrender, local police raided the house of Espinosa and killed six of his men.
On Friday, three incumbent and former mayors in Mindanao have yielded to Dela Rosa to explain their involvement in illegal drugs. Another mayor is reportedly set to surrender tomorrow.
But like Espinosa, the three mayors were sent home after signing a judicial affidavit. They were sent home because there is no existing arrest warrant against them.
Dela Rosa vowed to run after the rest of the mayors who will continue to engage in illegal drugs activities. “I know some of them, I can now start hunting them down,” said Dela Rosa.
Duterte has issued a shoot-to-kill order against all local chief executives involved in illegal drug activities.
Dela Rosa said 27 incumbent mayors from Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao are involved in illegal drugs. Earlier, Dela Rosa said he would ask the National Police Commission to strip mayors tied to illegal drug of police powers that include a choice of police chief.
“These local executives have no moral ascendancy to exercise supervision and control over the local police forces if they themselves are involved in drugs,” said Dela Rosa. (Aaron B. Recuenco)
