PDEA, PRO-7 unite to solve Rallos’ killing

Police Regional Office (PRO)-7 Director Debold Sinas confirmed that the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA-7) has already given a go signal to coordinate with the Special Investigation Task Group (SITG) created by the Cebu City Police Office (CCPO) to investigate the case of (PDEA)-7 Assistant Operations Chief Baby “Earl” Rallos who was killed in an ambush Friday last week.

“Nag-estorya nami gahapon sa PDEA chief. We already compared notes and we invited PDEA, which they give us the (go) signal nga one of their investigator will join the SITG Rallos. They are willing to join,” Sinas said.

This, after PDEA-7 Director Emerson Margate said last Monday that even though PDEA-7 is conducting its own investigation but assured that they will cooperate with the police.

Cebu City Director Royina Garma and Chief Inspector Maria Therese Macatangay are leading the SITG-Rallos.

Although they have compared notes, Sinas said that they don't know the identities of the suspects yet.

Sinas added that they are checking the whole background of Rallos, including the guns recovered from his vehicle.

The Scene of the Crime Operations recovered three firearms, including an M14 riffle, 9mm and caliber .45 pistol.

He also asked PDEA-7 to give the police an idea why agent Rallos has three packs of suspected shabu in the baggage compartment of his vehicle.

“I informed them to give us an idea why agent Rallos has 56.9 grams of shabu in his car, because that is important for us because it might lead to the suspects,” Sinas said.

He added that even a police officer cannot bring drugs outside, without official clearance.

He added that if a police or agent recovered drugs during an operation it should be turned over to the authorities after the operation as part of their standard operating procedure.

Margate also clarified that it is prohibited for anyone, including PDEA agents, to bring illegal drugs unless there is a travel order from the court for presentation of evidence purposes or for crime laboratory testing.

Sinas said that police are still eyeing drugs as the possible angle behind the killing of Rallos and that PDEA also agrees with it.