Sen. Richard Gordon yesterday urged the Department of Justice to file more serious charges against retired Philippine National Police chief Police Gen. Oscar Albayalde over the controversial anti-drug operation in 2013 in Pampanga.
Gordon, who led the Senate investigation last year on the irregular drug bust, had earlier said that the graft charges filed by government prosecutors against Albayalde were a mere “slap on the wrist” and that the retired police general should also be sued for supposedly conspiring with his former men in the recycling of illegal drugs.
Gordon warned that the DoJ could also be accused of “molly-coddling” the former PNP chief should it not pursue drug charges against him.
“It is a veritably a positive development that the DoJ recognized that Albayalde has done something wrong and wants to prosecute him. He is the first PNP official who has been charged and found guilty by the Blue Ribbon and now by the DoJ,” Gordon said.
“Nevertheless, we feel that the charge is incommensurate with all the offenses he has done. If the charges are made to stand as they are now, and none more serious is added, the DoJ will be seen as mollycoddling Albayalde,” he pointed out.
The Senate Blue Ribbon Committee had recommended that Albayalde be charged for conspiracy to violate the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act; violation of the Revised Penal Code for negligence and tolerance of the offenses of his subordinates; and violation of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act. (Vanne Terrazola)