THE Interior Department said Monday it had “prima facie evidence” against three of the five narco-generals accused by President Rodrigo Duterte of having links to the illegal drug trade.
Interior Secretary Ismael Sueno said they were set to submit evidence against former National Capital Region Police Office Chief Joel Pagdilao and former Quezon City Police District Chief Edgardo Tinio on Tuesday.
The Criminal Investigation and Detection Group, meanwhile, will file cases against retired former Philippine National Police deputy director general Marcelo Garbo Jr. whom the President said was a “drug coddler.”
“For the two, Generals Pagdilao and Tinio”•we are ready with the prima facie case against them, which I will sign when I get back to my office,” Sueno told reporters in Malacañang.
“As for General Garbo, well, he is not in active duty right now. He is neither an elected official, so the CIDG will file cases against him.”
Sueno made his statement even as Chief Supt. Emmanuel Aranas, head of the PNP Crime Laboratory in Camp Crame, said at least 130 policemen had been found positive for shabu following the result of a confirmatory test in the random drug testing conducted by the Philippine National Police leadership.
He said the 130 policemen were part of the 99,598 police personnel who were subjected to a surprise drug testing nationwide.
Sueno said they were still gathering evidence against former Western Visayas police Chief Bernardo Diaz, but he was sure “we have the goods against him.”
Duterte named the four along with police chief superintendent and now Daanbantayan, Cebu, Mayor Vicente Loot as top-level coddlers of drug lords operating in the country.
“As for Mayor Loot, we already lifted his supervision over the police and we have also canceled his licenses or permit to own guns and bodyguards,” Sueno said.
“And since he is a new mayor, we cannot come up with evidence administratively against him as mayor. But what we are doing is we are conducting lifestyle checks on him to find out that his assets are not proportionate to his income. So that is our strategy.”
The five officials have denied the allegations and declared they were willing to face any official investigation to clear their names.
Duterte said some police generals, including two who had retired and one of them since elected as a local official, were either protectors or were directly involved in illegal drugs.