THE chairman of the Special Investigation Task Group 990 on Sunday said they have recommended a string of criminal and administrative charges against officers and men of the PNP Drug Enforcement Group (PNP-DEG) accused of having a hand in the ‘misappropriation’ of 42 kilograms of shabu seized during a controversy-plagued PNP-DEG operation in Tondo, Manila last October.

Major General Eliseo DC Cruz, also PNP Director for Investigation and Detective Management, said they came up with the conclusion and recommendations after 21 SITG 990 case conferences which started in October 2022.

In a report to PNP chief, General Rodolfo S. Azurin Jr., the official said they concluded that the ‘overt acts of liable Police Commissioned Officers and Police Non-Commissioned Officers mentioned in their report clearly manifest misfeasance and misconduct committed for their own personal gain and interest.’

Major Gen. Cruz said that in particular, Sections 21 and 27 of Republic Act 9165 or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002 were violated by personnel of the PNP-DEG Special Operations Unit 4-A and Intelligence and Foreign Liaison Division who were seen in the CCTV footage loading items from the raided shabu warehouse to their vehicles and motorcycles.

“Their respective immediate supervisors should also be held liable under the doctrine of command responsibility,” he said.

The official said that Section 92 or RA 9165 was also violated by some officers and men of the same two PNP-DEG units.

He added that Article 183 of the Revised Penal Code or perjury was also violated by the same group of PNP-DEG personnel who were seen loading the drugs to their motor vehicles and motorcycles. Included in the recommended charges were the personnel who executed the affidavit relative to the arrest of civilian Ney Atadero and Police Master Sergeant Rodolfo Mayo who were locked-up in jail in connection with the seizure of 990 kilograms of shabu worth P6.7 billion.

Maj. Gen. Cruz said the accused also committed malfeasance under, grave misconduct for violation of Sections 21 and 27 of RA 9165.

He also bared that grave neglect of duty was committed by former PNP-DEG director, Brigadier Gen. Narciso D. Domingo and his men, Colonel Rolando Portera and Julian Olonan, Lieutenant Colonels Arnulfo Ibañez and Glenn Gonzales and Lieutenants Amerol and Jonathan Sosongco “for failure to suppress the criminal act of their respective subordinates.’

Maj. Gen. Cruz said the accused SOU 4-A and IFLD personnel also committed ‘grave dishonesty for concealment of truth which caused serious damage and grave prejudice to the government’ for transporting the 42 kilos of shabu worth nearly P286 million to their vehicles.

He added that they also recommended that the PNP Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (PNP-CIDG) and PNP Intelligence Group (PNP-IG) should continue the conduct of case build-up to further strengthen the criminal cases that will be filed against the accused.

The two units were also directed to locate the other dangerous drugs taken away by the SOU 4-A and IFLD personnel.

He likewise said they have recommended the validation of PNP-DEG accomplishments immediately after every operation; the conduct of retraining of its frontline personnel with emphasis on RA 9165; and the reorganization of the unit based on the peculiarities of anti-illegal drug operations including but not limited to the conduct of investigation, operation, post operation and filing of cases.

All the accused led by Brig. Gen. Domingo could not be immediately contacted for comment on the charges against them. However, Brig. Gen. Domingo had denied any effort to ‘cover-up’ the arrest of Mayo who has been ordered dismissed by Gen. Azurin and said that it was them who made the record drug haul and caused the dismissal of the rogue cop from the service.