‘Police general in P6.7 billion shabu haul has left Philippines’

MANILA, Philippines — One of the police generals who were ordered arrested over the alleged mishandling of a P6.7-billion drug haul in Tondo, Manila in 2022 has left the country, the Philippine National Police (PNP) confirmed yesterday.

Brig. Gen. Jean Fajardo, PNP spokesperson and Central Luzon police director, said the star-rank officer whose identity was withheld, left the Philippines on Jan. 8 before the Manila Regional Trial Court Branch 44 issued warrants of arrest over the alleged staged seizure of the illegal drugs.

Two generals were implicated in the case: retired Lt. Gen. Benjamin Santos and former PNP Drug Enforcement Group director Brig. Gen. Narciso Domingo.

Santos was among the 30 police officers ordered arrested for violating the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act, particularly delay and bungling in the prosecution of cases.

The court set bail of P200,000 for each of the defendants.

Santos has been cleared of planting of evidence by the Manila Regional Trial Court Branch 175 for lack of evidence.

“While surveillance footage confirmed his presence in the area, it does not clearly demonstrate his direct participation in the conduct of the purported hot pursuit operation,” the ruling stated.

The court noted that no witnesses or admission from the other defendants directly implicated Santos in any conspiracy.

Since a warrant of arrest has been issued, Fajardo said they have other options to bring back Domingo.

Among these is coordination with the International Criminal Police Organization or Interpol for the issuance of a red notice alert.

Fajardo said 20 of the 29 active, retired and resigned police officers are in custody. Nine others remain at large.

Nine of them are detained at the PNP Custodial Center at Camp Crame. Ten are being held in other police units. The other one was committed to the Manila City Jail. — Mark Ernest Villeza