PHILIPPINE National Police Chief Oscar D. Albayalde has 34 days to make amends over his alleged attempt to halt the implimentation of an order dismissing 13 Pampanga policemen involved in a drug recycling scheme in 2013, said a senator. Mr. Albayalde is due to retire from service in November.

“Ang unang dapat ipakita niya para mawala ang duda na ang kaso nina Baloyo ay meron siyang kinalaman sa pagtakip man lang, dapat kung pwedeng itong remaining 30-plus days ipakita niyang mabilis maresolba ang reinvestigation na sinasagaw,” Senator Panfilo M. Lacson said over radio interview with DzMM, Friday. (The first thing he has to do to dispel doubts over his and Baloyo’s case, that he has anything to do with the cover-up, he should use the 30-plus days to show he can quickly resolve the reinvestigation that is taking place.)

Mr. Lacson said Mr. Albayalde can “make amends” by fast-tracking the re-investigation of the case.

Mr. Albayalde was the acting regional director of Metro Manila in 2016, when he called then-Central Luzon regional director Aaron N. Aquino, who now leads the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA), supposedly asking him not to sign the dismissal order.

The 13 policemen, led by P/Major Rodney Raymond Louie Baloyo IV, were involved in a buy-bust operation on the morning of Nov. 29, 2013 in which an estimated 200 kilograms of drugs were seized. The report they filed, however, noted the operation was conducted in the afternoon and declared that only around 38 kgs were recovered.

In an investigation by then-Criminal Investigation and Detection Group director Benjamin B. Magalong, it was found that the report also omitted mentioning that some P10 million cash enclosed in a box was seized and that they had arrested drug trafficker Johnson Lee. The policemen instead presented a different Korean national, identified as Ding Wen Kun, in Mr. Lee’s place.

“Tutal wala nang masyadong ebidensyang kailangan doon naroon lahat na dokumento. Madaling i-decide kung nagsinungaling ba si Baloyo at totoo bang 10 a.m. at hindi 4 p.m. ang operation?” Mr. Lacson also said. (After all there is not much evidence more needed as all the documents are there. It’s easy to decide if Baloyo lied and if the operation was really at 10 a.m. and not 4 p.m.)

“So, ’yan man lang maipakita niya para maialis ang pagdududa man lang sa kanya,” he said, but noted the PNP chief cannot be implicated in the cover up. (So, that is the least he can do to remove any doubt about his involvement.)

As for Mr. Baloyo, Mr. Lacson is convinced he is giving false statements as regards to the cover up. Mr. Baloyo is currently detained at the New Bilibid Prison after being cited with contempt by Senator Richard J. Gordon in Thursday’s Senate Justice and Human Rights committee probe.

“Kung ie-examine mo lahat yung documents, makita mo talaga na ang discrepancy, an odds ay stacked against Baloyo and his men,” Mr. Lacson said. “If you examine all the documents, you can see that the discrepancy, the odds are stacked against Baloyo and his men.)

The Committee is looking into the so-called “Agaw Bato” scheme, which is among the anomalies that were uncovered during the investigation into the New Bilibid Prison. Senator Gordon on Thursday evening said the Committee will come up with a three-part report next week after over a month of investigation. — Charmaine A. Tadalan

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