MOSCOW, Russia — Malacañang said President Duterte ordered the investigation on Philippine National Police chief Police Gen. Oscar Albayalde to find out the truth about his alleged involvement in an irregular drug operation in 2013.
In an interview with Palace reporters here, presidential spokesman Salvador Panelo said that Duterte instructed Interior and Local Government Secretary Eduardo Año to look into the matter to determine if there is any truth to the allegations about the country’s top cop.
“Eh, gusto niya malaman ang totoo,” Panelo said but added that the President will still wait for the Senate to finish its inquiry.
“He will wait for the investigation in the Senate as well as the internal investigation to be conducted the DILG secretary before he makes the decision,” he added.
On Wednesday evening, Duterte told the Valdai Discussion Club in Sochi that he won’t hesitate to kill anyone involved in the illegal drugs trade as he revealed that even now there are still two generals playing with drugs.
The President, however, did not name who these generals were. Panelo told reporters that Duterte did not also mention to him any names.
According to Panelo, Duterte was referring PNP generals who have been accused of protecting the “ninja cops.”
“He refers to the PNP generals who have been accused to have protected the ninja cops. He will wait for the recommendation of the DILG Secretary when he is finished with his internal investigation,” he said here early yesterday.
The Palace official reiterated that Duterte’s “unyielding posture” against illegal drugs and those who destroy the country will not waver regardless of whether they belong to the government.
“As our Chief Executive has mentioned in many occasions, there will be hell to pay for those who become worse than criminals,” Panelo said.
“The President, however, will let Congress do and finish its investigation in aid of legislation before taking any formal action on the issue of these ninja cops,” he added.
Before leaving for Moscow, Duterte said that he would wait for the Senate to finish its inquiry on the ninja cops before he acts on it. He, however, assured that the probe on police officers involved would be fair.
Duterte also reserved judgment on Albayalde who allegedly acquired a sports utility vehicle after his former subordinates in Pampanga figured in an irregular drug buy-bust operation in 2013.
“If it comes to a serious thing as dismissing a top official here and there, it has to be for a good reason and there must be enough proof,” he said. (Argyll Geducos)
