MANILA, Philippines — A Manila court has issued a warrant for the arrest of 29 active and former police officers over alleged irregularities in the seizure of 990 kilos of shabu valued at P6.7 billion in Tondo in 2022.
In a two-page order dated Jan. 14, Judge Gwyn Calina of the Manila Regional Trial Court Branch 44 set bail of P200,000 for each of the defendants.
Twenty of the police officers are still on active duty. Five are commissioned officers, two of whom have the rank of lieutenant colonel. The rest are non-commissioned officers.
The court directed law enforcers executing the arrest warrant to use a body-worn camera and an alternative recording device.
Aside from bungling the prosecution of drug cases, the police officers were also charged with planting evidence under Section 29 of Republic Act 9165, the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act.
Lt. Gen. Benjamin Santos Jr. and Brig. Gen. Narciso Domingo are among the police officers facing charges for the staged arrest of M/ Sgt. Rodolfo Mayo and Ney Saligumba Atadero in October 2022.
Mayo is being held at Camp Bagong Diwa in Taguig.
Mayo’s arrest was linked to the seizure of 990 kilos of shabu, of which 400 kilos were withheld and resold by police for around P2.4 billion, while approximately 307 kilos remain unaccounted for.
The Department of Justice filed the complaints before the Manila court.
Task force to arrest cops
The Philippine National Police has formed a task force to apprehend the PNP personnel who were ordered arrested by the court.
PNP chief Gen. Rommel Francisco Marbil said the creation of the task force is part of the organization’s internal accountability measures.
“We assure the public that justice will be served. Those responsible for tarnishing the PNP’s reputation will be held accountable both criminally and administratively,” Marbil said in a statement.
Brig. Gen. Jean Fajardo, PNP spokesperson and Central Luzon Police Regional Office director, said five of the police officers who are still on duty are assigned with the National Capital Region Police Office, four in Ilocos, three each in Mimaropa and the Headquarters Support Service, two in Calabarzon, and one each in Central Visayas, Civil Security Group and personnel holding and accounting unit.
The other nine police officers who are the subjects of a manhunt, including two generals, have either retired, resigned or were dismissed from the PNP service.
Fajardo said the two police officers who were earlier classified as active PNP personnel were found to have been dropped from the PNP roster.
For those on active duty, Marbil wants them sacked as he vowed to show no mercy to police scalawags.
“This decisive action demonstrates our commitment to eradicating corruption and maintaining public trust in the PNP,” he said. – Emmanuel Tupas