Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon believes that an “unseen hand” intervened in the implementation of a dismissal order against a group of Pampanga cops who allegedly stashed millions worth of “shabu” seized from a buy-bust operation in November 2013.
Drilon pointed to the lengthy delays and subsequent watering down of the dismissal order that was initially handed down in November 14, 2014 by then-Region 3 Police Director Raul Petrasanta against then-Supt. Rodney Baloyo and his men.
“It was only served on March [2], 2016, when you signed the dismissal order on November 2014, or a period of [16] months, the case folder slept somewhere. Saan kaya natulog yun?,” Drilon wondered as he interpellated Petrasanta Wednesday during the joint hearing of the Justice and Senate Blue Ribbon Committee on the “ninja cops” controversy.
“Because that would indicate that indeed there was some unseen hand intervening. Bibigyan muna ng sleeping pills ‘yung kaso para matulog,” Drilon said.
The Baloyo group allegedly pilfered an estimated 160 kilograms of shabu (methamphetamine hydrochloride) worth P648 million from the buy-bust operation on purported drug lord Johnson Lee.
The involved police officers were ultimately demoted in November 2017 instead of being booted out of the service.
“This is what we’re trying to figure out. Because in my count, it took about 48 months from November of 2013 to the final act of demotion on November 2017. A total of 48 months from the incident,” Drilon said.
“After the MR (motion for reconsideration) was filed on March 14, 2016, it took another 20 months for the demotion to be implemented. Dinemote na nga, dinelay pa.”
“This is truly unusual and I myself am not convince that there was no effort to delay this, to sit on this deliberately for the agenda of some people,” added the Liberal Party (LP) lawmaker.
According to Petrasanta, he forwarded the dismissal order to the Philippine National Police (PNP) headquarters in Camp Crame for action after he signed it. “It was the recommendation of the legal service to submit it to the DPRM [in Camp Crame],” he said.
However, Senator Panfilo Lacson, himself a former PNP chief, didn’t buy this information since the involved cops filed their joint MR only on March 14, 2016.
“Because due process [dictates], kailangan maantay ‘yung MR. Hindi pa pwedeng ipadala…sa Crame, hindi pa implementable,” Lacson said.
Petrasanta admitted shortly, “Actually hindi ko na po namonitor yung series of events…mayroon pong OIC na pumalit sa akin.”
Lacson said that the case “definitely didn’t sleep in Crame.”
“Masyadong mainit itong kasong ito, ha? Ang tawag dyan sa street language ay iwas-pusoy, ha? That’s the impression that we get,” commented Drilon.
“Somebody who was, you know…powerful enough na ayaw niyong i-implement…for whatever reason, iwas-pusoy ang tawag dyan,” he added. (Ellson Quismorio)
