Origin of 990-kilo shabu haul still unknown

MANILA, Philippines — As the Senate committee on public order continued yesterday the investigation on the 990 kilos of shabu seized in a lending office owned by a former police officer, the P6.7-billion drug haul’s origin remains unknown because Philippine National Police (PNP) officers supposedly involved in the confiscation could not provide any information.

With the apparent refusal to provide appropriate information, the Senate committee on public order, chaired by Sen. Ronald dela Rosa, cited dismissed M/Sgt. Rodolfo Mayo and his boss, PNP Drug Enforcement Group (PDEG) National Capital Region officer-in-charge Lt. Col. Arnulfo Ibañez, in contempt for not telling the truth.

“We’ve been holding several hearings and Mayo has been very uncooperative – he refused to cooperate with this committee and did not want to say anything. I think it is better if somebody will move to cite him in contempt,” Dela Rosa said in English and Filipino.

Sen. Raffy Tulfo manifested that aside from Mayo, Ibañez should also be cited in contempt as Mayo’s immediate superior.

“Col. Ibañez referred (Mayo) to the PDEG. All the movements of his underling, and yet he is lying. He is fooling the committee. Mayo will not do anything that his boss does not know. He will not be able to produce and amass the amount of shabu on his own if there is no blessing from the higher-up. Who is his higher-up? Col. Ibañez. And this gentleman now is lying through his teeth and making a fool of us,” Tulfo said in English and Filipino.

Dela Rosa explained that since Mayo is already in jail, the contempt would take effect when he gets released from police custody.

“Mayo’s lawyer is good and he will be able to get (him) out of police custody. The Senate’s order will take effect the moment he is released. He will be arrested immediately when he is released from PNP custody,” the senator said.

During the hearing, senators again tried to get information from Mayo about the source of the shabu but the policeman invoked his right to remain silent.

Based on the police spot report, the 990 kilos of shabu was seized from the WPD Lending Office in Manila on Oct. 8 last year.

The establishment was owned by Mayo, who claimed that he has been renting the office since 2019.

“Where did the last 990 kilos of shabu come from? Is this from the raid? Or was someone caught and seized shabu or was it imported?” Tulfo asked Mayo.

“Until now, many people’s questions are still unanswered. Where did the 990 kilos of shabu come from? Are these savings every time there is a raid and someone is caught hiding it and putting it aside? Is it imported? Mayo, since you are the owner of the lending company where the drugs were caught, where did it come from?” Tulfo added.

To all the questions, Mayo simply answered,” “I invoke my right to remain silent.”

Senators also decided to cite Ibañez in contempt as they were not convinced that he does not know about Mayo’s activities and lending company.

“You choose: are you stupid or corrupt? Because you don’t know what your underling is doing that you recommended to the PDEG,” Tulfo told Ibañez.

Dela Rosa said he is convinced that there is a cover-up so that Mayo could be excluded from the people to be charged, although the latter was eventually included in the filing of charges.

“This committee found out that there is really an attempted cover-up on the inclusion of Mayo. Whether attempted or frustrated cover-up, it’s up to the lawyer to assess,” the senator added.

Dela Rosa stressed that further investigation must be conducted on the level of the cover-up, and whether or not former PNP chief Rodolfo Azurin Jr. and PDEG chief Brig. Gen. Narciso Domingo were part of it.

The senator noted that Mayo was covering up the syndicate behind the P6.7 billion worth of shabu in Manila.

“It is very clear that Sgt. Mayo is covering up for his cohorts. He does not want to speak. He is always invoking the right against incrimination. Nobody believes Sgt. Mayo,” Dela Rosa said.

Aside from Mayo and Ibañez, PDEG-Special Operations Unit head Capt. Jonathan Sosongco was cited in contempt at the previous hearing.

Sen. Robinhood Padilla tried to move to lift the contempt order against Sosongco, but Sen. Jinggoy Estrada objected, as the officer still refused to reveal the identity of the supposed informant who helped the raiding team get the 990 kilos of shabu.

“I object to the motion of Sen. Padilla to lift the contempt if you cannot reveal the identity of the informant. I tell you: you will rot in jail,” Estrada warned Sosongco.

Tulfo suggested that PNP personnel wear body cameras during police operations to protect both the police officers from wrong accusations and the civilians from being framed.

PNP chief Gen. Benjamin Acorda told Dela Rosa’s committee that the PNP has procured only about 2,600 body cameras and no further procurement has been made by the PNP so far.

Meanwhile, five more police officers were cited for contempt by the Dela Rosa’s committee in connection with the same investigation: M/Sgt. Carlo Bayeta and Patrolmen Hasan Kalaw, Dennis Carolina, Rommar Bugarin and Hustin Peter Gular.

The five lawmen were cited in contempt as they denied being part of the arresting team that caught Mayo, but Sosongco claimed they were part of the police operations.

The five policemen claimed that they arrested Ney Atadero at the WPD Lending Company office and not Mayo.

As Dela Rosa and Estrada pressed the five police officers about their participation in the police operations, they invoked their right to remain silent, prompting the senators to move to cite them in contempt.

Dela Rosa even kneeled and pleaded in front of his former colleagues to tell the truth about the drug haul.

“Please, speak out. Have pity on the Philippines. I will kneel in front of you, just tell the truth. I’m down on my knees now. This is not power-tripping. I’m now humbly asking you to reveal the truth for the sake of your children,” the senator said in Filipino.