Probe begins on suspected narco cops

NATIONAL POLICE Chief General Archie Francisco Gamboa has ordered an investigation into the alleged involvement of some 357 policemen in the illegal drug trade.

Gamboa said the investigation will last about a month. “We expect to do so in a period of one month,” he said, adding, the probe is part of the continuing cleansing among police ranks to weed out scalawags.

He said the results of the investigation and recommendation of what actions to take would be submited to President Rodrigo Duterte. “We ourselves are going to process them, adjudicate, and validate the information that they are involved and hopefully those who are innocent may clear their names but those who are not may face the full force of the law,” Gamboa said.

Gamboa decline to name the policemen in the so-called narco list, but said among them are officers, including a general. He said those in the list are presumed innocent pending the outcome of the investigation.

“The process aims to establish substantial proof against these police officers that can be used as a basis for filing charges against them,” he said.

He said these cops would be processed through the regional, national support unit, or directorial staff adjudication boards, where they will be heard and adjudicated for a week. For the next three weeks, the PNP National

Adjudication Board, led by Lt. Gen. Camilo Cascolan, deputy chief for administration, would take action on those on the list.

Intelligence from different groups, such as Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency, would bolster the validation, Gamboa said, adding, those who would be proven to have no connection with illegal drugs will be removed from the drug watch list. (Christopher Lloyd Caliwan)