Two high Philippine National Police (PNP) officials, one of them a general, are now being investigated following the arrest of two police anti-narcotics operatives and seizure of nearly a ton of “shabu” in Manila early this month, PNP chief Gen. Rodolfo Azurin Jr., revealed on Monday.
Azurin said that there is an ongoing investigation into the involvement of at least one police general.
But he said it is too early to even float their involvement since there are still no pieces of evidence that would link them to the Manila operation wherein 990 kilos of shabu were seized.
The two police officials’ names surfaced over their alleged link to the police sergeant who owns the lending agency where the 990 kilos of shabu were seized.
“They are on a floating status. But this is unfair to them because their names are being dragged into this although there are no sufficient pieces of evidence so far,” Azurin told reporters when sought for comment during Monday’s press briefing at Camp Crame.
“These officers have careers, they worked hard for their career and that is why we are very careful, we are not mentioning any names,” he added.
Meanwhile, two police sergeants assigned to the Drug Enforcement Group of the Philippine National Police (PDEG) sneaked out more or less 42 kilos of shabu, worth P285.6 million after the inventory of the seized illegal drugs out of 990 kilos of shabu seized in a policeman-owned lending agency office in Manila
The incident was discovered by PDEG director Brig. Gen. Narciso Domingo himself after a review of the CCTV footages before and after the October 8 raid at the Wealth and Personal Development Lending Inc. in Sta. Cruz, Manila owned by Master Sgt. Rodolfo Mayo Jr.
Mayo is an intelligence officer of the PDEG and was arrested after he also yielded at least 2 kilos of shabu in his car in a follow-up operation in Quiapo, Manila early morning of October 9.
In the CCTV footage, a man was going out of the lending agency office and was later seen loading the two bags inside a car.
When one of the police sergeants was asked to shed light on the incident, the cop admitted that there were 30 kilos of shabu still in their possession and that the car is owned by another PDEG operative.
When the other PDEG operative was asked to appear before the PDEG headquarters, he informed his superior instead that he would just leave the illegal drugs near Camp Crame in Quezon City.
During the inspection, it was found out that there were 42 kilos left by the PDEG operative. A 42-kilo shabu has a street value of P285.6 million.
“There is an ongoing investigation and as I have said, all those involved, all those whose names would surface in the conduct of the investigation will be held accountable in order to put a stop on the issue of recycling [of illegal drugs],” said Azurin.