General fired for killing 6 in ‘fake’ drug campaign

MANILA: A Philippine National Police (PNP) major and 10 of his men were relieved from their posts for their alleged involvement in the killing of six people in a “fabricated” drug operation in Bulacan province in Central Luzon in February.

General Archie Gamboa, the PNP chief, said he ordered the relief as well as the restrictive custody of Major Leo dela Rosa, the former head of the anti-drug unit of the San Jose del Monte City police in Bulacan, to ensure an impartial investigation of the case.

Gamboa immediately issued the order following the filing of charges of kidnapping with murder, considered a capital offense, and other criminal cases against Dela Rosa and 10 of his men by agents of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) before the Department of Justice.

“I will not tolerate any wrongdoing in the service. The accused must be made to answer for their criminal acts. The police officers are purely on their own and we do not sanction violations of official orders, policy and regulation,” Gamboa emphasised.

Reports are that since the alleged killings, Dela Rosa has been promoted as the head of the Drug Enforcement Group of the PNP regional command of Central Luzon based in Pampanga province.

Human rights advocates and similar concerned groups, however, pointed out that the case against Dela Rosa and his men was just one of the examples of alleged extra-judicial killings perpetrated by the police in the Duterte administration’s violent and bloody war on illegal drugs and rampant criminality.

The same advocates also noted that despite Gamboa’s announcement that a PNP “internal cleansing programme” was in already in place, “scalawags” and other corrupt officers and men continued to operate with impunity.

For instance, the PNP itself admit ed the existence of “ninja” cops, meaning those who recycle huge amounts of illegal drugs like shabu (crystal meth) confiscated during raids for resale to the public.

In the NBI charge sheet, meanwhile, his men brought the six suspects allegedly arrested to the office of Dela Rosa at the police station where they were hogtied and blindfolded without being booked for any offense.