MANILA – The Department of Justice (DOJ) assured former Philippine National Police (PNP) chief General Oscar Albayalde will be given due process should his name be included as respondent in the ongoing reinvestigation of “ninja cops” or those police officers allegedly involved in the recycling of seized narcotics.
Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra underscored this after the Senate Blue Ribbon and Justice and Human Rights Committees released on Friday its report on the investigation conducted over the “ninja cops” controversy.
“Needless to say, any new or additional respondent will be given sufficient opportunity to submit his counter-affidavit and other controverting evidence as part of procedural and substantive due process,” Guevarra said.
A DOJ special panel of prosecutors started the conduct of the re-investigation of the complaint filed by the PNP’s Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (PNP-CIDG) that was dismissed back in 2017 by another panel of prosecutors.
Sen. Richard Gordon on Friday recommended that criminal charges be filed against Albayalde and the so-called “ninja cops” for their involvement in the 2013 sting in Mexico, Pampanga.
According to Gordon, Albayalde and the other policemen violated provisions of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act as they were guilty of malfeasance, misfeasance and nonfeasance.
Malfeasance is committing an act that one had no legal right to perform. Misfeasance is the failure to exercise due care and diligence in the performance of an official duty. Malfeasance is the refusal to perform an act which an officer is obliged to perform.
Albayalde was the chief of Pampanga police when the 13 police officers allegedly let suspected drug lord Johnson Lee flee in exchange for P50 million while most of the 200 kilos of shabu confiscated during the operation were not declared and presumed to have been sold back to the drug market.
Albayalde denied allegations that he was involved in any way with the operation and that he intervened in the implementation of a dismissal order on the 13 police officers involved./PN
