Bungling of the prosecution of a drug case, planting of evidence, and qualified bribery; these are some of the cases that will be charged by the Department of Justice (DOJ) against the police officers involved in a controversial anti-drug raid, also known as “Agaw-Bato”, last 2013. Meanwhile, officer named Oscar Albayalde, a retired Philippine National Police (PNP) chief, will also be charged amongst other 12 police officers in relation to the said “illegal” anti-drug operation in Pampanga, Philippines. The accused others who are going to be charged with a violation of Republic Act 9165 or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002 are:
SPO1 Alcindor Mangiduyos Tinio, PO3 Romeo Encarnacio Guerrero, Police Inspector Joven Bagnot De Guzman, Jr., Supt. Rodney Raymundoo Baloyo IV, SPO1 Jules Lacap Maniago, SPO1 Dante Mercado Dizon, SPO1 Donald Castro Roque, PO3 Romeo Encarnacio Guerrero, PO3 Gilbert Angeles De Vera, SPO1 Eligio Dayos Valeroso, SPO1 Ronald Bayas Santos, and PO3 Dindo Singian Dizon.
It was reported that these policemen illegally arrested the wrong person named Ding Wenkun of an alleged criminal act of sale and possession of illegal drugs, specifically methamphetamine hydrochloride or shabu, despite their knowledge that it was the person named Johnson Lee who is the real guilty of the said crime. Because of this, the case against Ding Wenkun was later dismissed by the court.
Photo: philstar.com/pilipino-star-ngayon/bansa/2019/10/16/1960697/12-sa-13-diumanoy-ninja-cops-humarap-sa-imbestigasyon-ng-doj
These policemen were also said to have reported only an amount of 300,000 Php when the real total amount of money that was obtained from this operation were at around 10 million Php. The group declared that the quantity of shabu confiscated were only 36.60 kilograms while investigation proved that it was really about 200 kilograms. In addition, some members of this group was also said to have failed to declare on their account the Toyota Fortuner vehicle that was seized in the said anti-drug operation.
The said proceedings were a result of the reinvestigation ordered by Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra in October last year, 2019. The former probe was dismissed in November 2014 by the previous investigating prosecutor for the lack of evidence against these indicted police officers.
According to Justice Undersecretary and DOJ Spokesperson Markk Perete:
“The panel only found probable cause against P/Gen Albayalde for violation of the law against graft and corrupt practices act. It found that the acts attributed to Albayalde happened after the conduct of the anti-illegal drugs operations of the Baloyo group.”
References:
- https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1091132
- Photo: news.abs-cbn.com/news/11/01/19/police-body-hurries-probe-as-albayalde-retirement-nears