ACTING on orders of Interior and Local Government Secretary Benjamin ‘Benhur’ C. Abalos Jr., the director of the Philippine National Police Drug Enforcement Group yesterday said he and nine others cited by the DILG chief will go on a leave of absence to give way to a thorough investigation into the controversy-marred seizure of 990 kilograms of shabu worth P6.7 billion in Sta. Cruz, Manila on October 8 last year.

“We will comply with the order of Secretary of the Department of Interior and Local Government Benhur Abalos. We will file our leave of absence right after this press conference,” Brigadier General Narciso D. Domingo told newsmen at Camp Crame even as he denied any cover-up in the illegal drug case of a PNP-DEG intelligence officer Police Master Sergeant Rodolfo Mayo Jr., who was dismissed in connection with the multi-billion drug haul.

“We assure you that that there was no attempted cover-up here, kung ‘yun po ang iniisip ng karamihan na ang PDEG kami ay nag-cover up sa maling pinaggagawa ng mga tao namin,” he said.
The official added that they have turned over all pieces of evidence including CCTV footage at the scene of the operation to the Special Investigation Task Group created by PNP chief General Rodolfo S. Azurin Jr. following the incident.

The official maintained that it was him and his men who were involved in the seizure of the 990 kilos of shabu which were eventually destroyed by the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency last March 16.

“It is us who also discovered that some of our men smuggled 42 kilos of the drug. Kung kasabwat kami, sana tumahimik na lang kami pero agad kaming nagreport kay Chief PNP. Our conscience is clear and we assure you that there’s no attempt to cover-up right from the very start,” he said.

Brig. Gen. Domingo, a member of PNP Academy ‘Tagapagpatupad’ Class of 1992, called for a press conference a day after Abalos asked him and former PNP Deputy Chief for Operations Lieutenant Gen. Benjamin D. Santos Jr. and several other police officers to go on leave or face suspension after an investigation of the National Police Commissioned chaired by the DILG chief himself.

Abalos said an initial investigation showed that “there is indeed a massive attempt to cover-up the arrest of Mayo” although Brig. Gen. Domingo denied such a move.

The official expressed dismay that they were dragged into the case when they were just doing their job to fight the illegal drug case.

He noted that the PNP-DEG under his leadership for the record made the biggest drug haul in the police force.

“Let me express my dismay that this is being unfair on the part of those of us who just did our mandate and just did our fight against the illegal drugs trade. Kami pa ngayon ang pinagdududahang kasabwat sa aming nahuling suspects,” he said.

Abalos presented to the media on Monday CCTV footage showing Mayo in handcuffs before being released.

The video also showed police officials arriving and leaving the premises of the establishment where Mayo was arrested.

Domingo admitted that there were lapses in police procedures during their Sta. Cruz operations but maintained these were part of a tactical move to arrest another group of drug suspects and find another major shabu warehouse facility.

He said it was Mayo who gave the information about the drug targets in Pasig City.

The erstwhile chief of the PNP-DEG Special Operations Unit 4-A, Colonel Julian Olonan admitted they planned to use Mayo so they can get to another warehouse in Pasig.

“’Yung Pasig, meron pang isang bodega. Kinausap namin siya na gamitin siya para makuha ‘yung another,” the official said.

Domingo said they canceled the conduct of a follow-up operation in Pasig City after PNP chief General Rodolfo S. Azurin Jr. told him Mayo might get killed in the event the 2nd operation materializes.

“Natakot siya na papatayin si Mayo kaya pina-cancel ‘yung follow-up operation,” said the PNP-DEG director.

In the absence of Domingo, PNP-DEG deputy director for administration, Colonel Marlou Martinez was designated as officer-in-charge of the unit.

Apart from Domingo and Olonan, DILG chief Abalos also called on Lt. Gen. Santos, Lt. Colonel Glenn Gonzales of the Quezon City Police District; Lt. Col. Arnulfo Ibañes of the PNP-DEG SOU-National Capital Region; the latter deputy, Major Michael Angelo Salmingo;

Captain Jonahan Sosongco, a member of the PNP-DEG SOU 4-A who led the arresting team; Lt. Ashrap Amerol, a PNP-DEG intelligence officer; Lt. Co.. Harry Lorenz0, the station commander of Manila Police District’s Moriones Station; and Captain Randolph Piñon, the chief of the PDEG-SOU 4-A intelligence section.

Abalos said he believes that more police officers and men are involved in the drug controversy.

“Hindi ako naniniwalang ito lang ang mga taong ito, malawak ito, mahabang laban ito,” said Abalos.

Meanwhile, A House leader lauded Abalos on its program of cleansing the ranks of the Philippine National Police on drug issues.

House Committee on Dangerous Drugs Surigao del Norte Representative Robert Ace Barbers said he is strongly supporting the pronouncement of Abalos on the “massive attempt to cover-up” dismissed Police Master Sergeant Rodolfo Mayo’s arrest on drug related charges during a raid in October 2022.

In raid, more than 1 ton of recycled shabu were seized from Mayo’s lending company office in his own building in Manila.

“The Committee on Dangerous Drugs has been conducting its own investigation on this incident involving dismissed cop Mayo and other ranking police officers. We have unearthed evidence, testimonial and documentary as well as authentic CCTV footage that revealed the damning truth and the real story behind several incidents that were peddled by some scalawags,” Barbers said.

With Jester Manalastas