Forty-nine officials and personnel of the Philippine National Police (PNP) were found to have criminal and administrative liability in connection with the 990 kilograms of shabu confiscated in Manila last October.
A memorandum signed by PNP Directorate for Investigation and Detective Management (DIDM) director Police Maj. Gen. Eliseo Cruz indicated that most of the officials and personnel were from the PNP Drug Enforcement Group (PDEG).
The highest-ranking official cited by Cruz’s memo is former PDEG chiefPolice Brig. Gen. Narciso Domingo, who was told to go on leave along with nine other officials by Interior Secretary Benhur Abalos.
The Special Investigation Task Group 990 also ordered the PNP officials and personnel, who were involved in seizing the shabu worth a record P6.7 billion, to surrender their firearms.
“There are 47, all of them PDEG, with Brig. Gen. Narciso Domingo.
That’s our presscon tomorrow. We will present to you what we started, what we did, what we finished, our recommendation, and what we will do next,” Cruz said in a phone interview.
Domingo was relieved of his post after the controversy on the case of now-dismissed Police Master Sgt. Rodolfo Mayo Jr., who yielded 990 kg. of shabu during an anti-drug operation on Oct. 8, 2022.
On April 10, Abalos presented closed-circuit television (CCTV) footage that showed the actual operation.
Abalos told the police generals and several other police officers seen in the video footage to go on leave within the week or face suspension after the investigation by the National Police Commission.
In an order signed on April 12, Domingo was forced to go on leave based on the directive of Abalos.
Senator Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa called for a clear investigation into the issue and advised PNP Chief Police General Rodolfo Azurin Jr. to speak up to put the case to rest.
“It’s really disappointing if they are involved, but it is also disappointing if they are not involved. So I strongly recommend to the PNP leadership, DILG, and Napolcom that they must have a clear investigation so that those who should be held accountable and those who should not be held accountable are not blamed,” he said.
“I strongly advised him being the chief of the agency just to speak up, to clear the doubts, to clear the air, para this case will be laid to rest,” the former PNP chief said of Azurin.