The Philippine National Police will conduct a thorough investigation to determine whether or not the relieved chief of the Bacolod City police and four other officers were indeed linked to illegal drug activities.
In a press briefing in Camp Crame, Quezon City Monday, PNP chief Director General Oscar Albayalde said Senior Supt. Francis Ebreo and four others will be given due process, clarifying that their relief pending the result of an investigation were administrative in nature.
“We will give them due process. Hindi naman porke na-relieve sila they were already guilty. It’s an administrative relief pending the result of an investigation. Hindi naman outright dismissed from the service,” Albayalde said.
Ebreo and Supt. Allan Macapagal, Supt. Richie Yatar, Supt. Naruddin Tayuan, who was already assigned to Mindanao last year, and Senior Insp. Victor Paulino were ordered sacked by Duterte during a birth anniversary party in Bacolod Saturday night because for their alleged involvement in illegal drugs.
Chief Supt. John Bulalacao, director of the PNP Regional Office 6 (Western Visayas), immediately relieved the Bacolod cops and ordered their transfer to the Regional Personnel Holding and Accounting Unit.
Albayalde admitted he received information from Bulalacao that Ebreo has been performing well as the commander of the Bacolod police. “Based on the discussion with the regional director, very snappy naman si provincial director. We will see,” Albayalde said.
Albayalde said Ebreo was also not included in the PNP watchlist of rogue cops.
However, Bulalacao has admitted that they have been hearing reports about the illegal transactions of the four alleged cohorts of Ebreo.
Some officers have expressed alarm because of the outright dismissal of Ebreo. But Albayalde said the PNP “cannot question the wisdom” of Duterte because he has access to various intelligence information.
“Wala siguro tayong karapatan para kwestyunin ang decision ng ating Pangulo because we know for a fact that the President has unlimited sources of information, not only from the PNP,” Albayalde stated.
“If that is the wisdom of the President, kailangan natin implement,” he added. (Martin A. Sadongdong)
