Court orders arrest of 29 cops in P6.7 billion shabu haul

MANILA, Philippines — A Manila court has ordered the arrest of 29 police officers, including a brigadier general, implicated in the P6.7-billion drug haul in Tondo, Manila in October 2022.

Regional Trial Court Branch 175 Judge Danilo Leyva did not allow any of the 29 officers, charged for planting evidence during an anti-drug operation that led to the confiscation of 990 kilos of shabu, to post bail.

Following this, Interior and Local Government Secretary Jonvic Remulla announced that the Philippine National Police (PNP) created Task Force 29 to go after the officers.

“General (Rommel Francisco) Marbil has a task force to apprehend all the accused, all those with arrest warrants. He said that he will be able to capture everyone within this week,” Remulla said.

Remulla stressed that the government would not tolerate rogue officers who tarnish the reputation of the PNP, which has 225,000 members in the country.

Ordered arrested were Brig. Gen. Narciso Domingo, former PNP Drug Enforcement Group director; Cols. Julian Olonan and Arnulfo Ibañez; Lt. Cols. Dhefry Punzalan and Glenn Gonzales; Maj. Michael Angelo Salmingo; Lts. Jonathan Sosongco, Ashrap Amerol, Silverio Bulleser II and Randolph Piñon; Chief M/Sgt. Emmanuel Docena; Sr. M/Sgts. Jerrywin Reborosa and Marian Mananghaya; M/Sgts. Carlos Bayeta, Marian Mananghaya, Lorenzo Catarata and Alejandro Flores; and S/Sgt. Arnold Tibay.

Also ordered arrested were Cpls. Joshua Ivan Baltazar, Jhan Roland Gelacio and Windel de Ramos as well as Pats. Hustin Peter Gular, Rommar Bugarin, Hassan Kalaw, Dennis Carolino, Nathaniel Gomez, Darius Camacho, Mario Atchuela and James Osario.

Brig. Gen. Jean Fajardo, PNP spokesperson, said at least 10 of the officers are already under police custody.

Meanwhile, the court also ordered the dismissal of the charge against Lt. Gen. Benjamin Santos Jr., former PNP deputy chief for operations.

“The court found no probable cause to charge (Santos) due to the absence of evidence establishing his participation in the alleged offense,” Judge Leyva said in the ruling.

“While surveillance footage confirms his presence at WPD Lending, it does not clearly and positively demonstrate that he participated, directed, authorized or consented to the conduct of purported bogus hot pursuit operation against accused (M/Sgt.) Rodolfo Mayo,” the order also read.

Mayo, who is already under police custody, was ordered transferred to the Manila City Jail as he waits for an arraignment on Jan. 27. — Christine Boton