2 police generals face raps over suspected drug links
At least two police generals publicly identified by President Duterte for their suspected links to the illegal drugs trade will be formally slapped with charges today, according to Presidential Communications Secretary Martin Andanar.
“Uunahin natin yung narco-generals, mayroong mga dalawa o tatlo na mapa-filean ng kaso bukas. Pero ayoko pangunahan ang Department of Interior and Local Government dahil ito po ang kanyang trabaho [We will start with the narco-generals. Cases will be filed against two or three on Monday. But I don’t want to preempt the Department of Interior and Local Government because that’s their job],” Andanar said over government radio.
“Pagkatapos, sunud-sunod na yan. 'Yung mga mayor na nakitaan ng sapat na ebidensya na kailangan talagang kasuhan [Afterwards, the mayors who have been implicated by evidence will also be charged],” he added.
As part of his name-and shame campaign, the President recently bared a list of judges, local officials and police officers with alleged involvement in drug operations. Some government officials implicated by Duterte have denied the allegations.
The President identified five active and retired police generals who were supposedly coddling drug lords in the country.
Those named who are in active duty include former Region 6 Director Bernardo Diaz, former National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) Director Joel Pagdilao, and former QCPD Director Edgardo Tinio. The retired police officers are Vicente Loot, who is now mayor of Daan Bantayan, and former Deputy Director General Marcelo Garbo.
The President said drug operations flourished due to the alleged involvement of some policemen, including Loot. He said Loot had asked cops to inform him about any operation on drugs apparently to tip off the suspects in advance.
“Loot said, anybody in my region conducting a police furtive operation regarding drugs must report to me first. So when the police went there inside the warehouse, nobody was there, there will be residue of the substance taken from the drums,” he said.