‘Powerful’ syndicate likely behind drug operation cover-up — Abalos

THE DEPARTMENT of Interior and Local Government (DILG) on Wednesday said a “powerful” criminal syndicate operating within the Philippine police force could be behind the cover-up of an operation involving P6.7 billion worth of illegal drugs cover-up.

“Investigators told us that the government is up against a very powerful syndicate and these are very evil people,” DILG Secretary Benjamin C. Abalos, Jr. told CNN Philippines in mixed English and Filipino.

He said investigators reported having a difficult time getting information from other law enforcers on the attempted theft of 42 of the 990 kilograms of crystal methamphetamine seized during the operation.

Mr. Abalos Jr., however, warned the masterminds behind the cover-up saying the government is bent on weeding out erring cops.

“We want to make sure that they know that we are serious about cleaning house and putting them in jail,” he said.

The National Police Commission and the Philippine National Police have filed criminal complaints against 50 cops linked to the cover-up, Mr. Abalos said on Tuesday.

He said his agency will file additional administrative complaints against these officers in the coming weeks, while authorities try to determine where the illegal drugs were sourced.

Last month, national police chief General Benjamin C. Acorda, Jr. said cops arrested 24,197 suspects in more than 18,000 anti-illegal drug raids this year.

As of May 27, law enforcers seized around $110 million or about P6.16 billion worth of illegal drugs.

That same month, Mr. Abalos said a five-man advisory panel had recommended the filing of criminal and administrative charges against four senior police officers over their alleged ties to the illegal drug trade.

The interior secretary earlier called on all colonels and generals to resign after a probe found many senior police officers were involved in the illegal drug trade. Nearly a thousand top police officers had submitted their courtesy resignations.

ESPINOSA
In another development, a regional trial court in Leyte has granted the bail plea of self-confessed drug lord Rolan “Kerwin” Espinosa and four other suspects in an illegal drug case.

In a six-page resolution, Leyte Regional Trial Court Branch 14 Presiding Judge Carlos O. Arguelles said there were no eyewitnesses who could testify that Mr. Espinosa and his co-accused committed the supposed illegal drug activities.

“Admittedly, the prosecution witnesses testified only in their official capacities, and absolutely they have no personal knowledge of the commission of the crime,” the court said.

This ruling comes after a Makati court cleared Mr. Espinosa of drug trafficking charges due to lack of evidence.

The Leyte court set the bail at P700,000 for each of the suspects.

In a 2017 Senate probe, Mr. Espinosa admitted that he paid off former police and drug enforcement officials to continue his illegal drug activities in Eastern Visayas, a region in central Philippines.

The Leyte court said the confession was not enough to convict Mr. Espinosa as the evidence presented will have to determine the guilt.

The self-confessed drug lord earlier took back his allegations against former senator Leila M. De Lima, who has been detained since 2017 on drug-related charges. Two of the three cases against her have been dismissed.

A Muntinlupa court rejected the former senator’s motion for bail for the last pending case, saying it could not overlook the testimonial evidence against her.

Ms. De Lima, one of ex-President Rodrigo R. Duterte’s staunchest critics, on Tuesday asked the court to reconsider the denial. — John Victor D. Ordoñez