Magalong welcomes filing of charges vs. ‘ninja’ cops

BAGUIO CITY -- Mayor Benjamin Magalong on Monday welcomed the filing of charges against policemen allegedly involved in the reselling of seized illegal drugs in Pampanga six years ago.

Former Philippine National Police (PNP) chief, Gen. Oscar Albayalde, has been included in the complaint filed by the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group before the Department of Justice.

“Siguro may nakita na rin na ebidensiya laban sa kanya, nararapat lang dahil nga kailangan panagutan niya (Probably they saw pieces of evidence against him. That is just proper because he needs to answer for it),” Magalong said.

Albayalde, who was then former Pampanga police chief, was charged along with 13 of his former subordinates.

Magalong, who was a former CIDG chief, identified the cops and police officials involved in the reselling of illegal drugs in an executive hearing at the Senate last month.

“Ilan pa na mga tao, kabataan ang nabiktima noong ibinalik nila yung 160 kilograms na shabu sa merkado, napakaraming naapektuhan noon, thousands ang naapektuhan noon, hundreds of thousands pa (how many people, youth were victimized when they returned the 160 kilograms of shabu in the market? Thousands, even hundreds of thousands),” he told reporters in a press conference.

Amid the allegations, Albayalde resigned from his post ahead of his retirement from active service on November 8. (PNA)