Senate Blue Ribbon recommends Albayalde, others be charged for 2013 Pampanga drug raid
Senator Richard Gordon, the chair of the Blue Ribbon Committee, on Friday said Police General Oscar Albayalde is ''very liable'' on the controversial 2013 Pampanga drug raid.
In a televised press conference, Gordon said Albayalde and 13 alleged ninja cops are all guilty of malfeasance, misfeasance and non-feasance.
"All of them, Albayalde, Baloyo, the other people in the group involved in the raid are guilty of malfeasance, misfeasance and non-feasance," Gordon said in a press briefing.
Albayalde was the former provincial director of Pampanga police when the incident happened in 2013. Police Mayor Rodney Raymond Baloyo IV headed the raining team.
Malfeasance is an act which he had no legal right to perform, misfeasance is failure to use diligence in the performance of official duty and non-feasance is the refusal to perform an act which is the officer's legal obligation to perform.
Gordon said Albayalde will not reach star-rank if he does not know police procedure.
"By reason of his seniority, his superiority, his competence... I think he is very liable," he said.
Gordon said Albayalde, who stepped down as Philippine National Police chief last Monday following the Senate hearings, is also found liable under graft and corrupt practices for allegedly intervening with the dismissal of the cops involved.
The Senate Blue Ribbon panel said Albayalde committed malfeasance after former Police General Rudy Lacadin alleged he received a call from Albayalde asking about the investigation and telling him that he only "benefitted a little" from the drug raid.
Policemen seized 36 kilos of shabu in a subdivision. But during the Senate hearing, retired Police General Manuel Gaerlan claimed the raid had no search warrant, no coordination with superior and the Philippine Drug Enforcement Authority.
"I'm sorry and I'm really sad for him because there was a time I respected him. But all of us, all Filipinos must draw the line," Gordon said.
"He was in-charge all along," he said. "Hope he will defend his self".
Gordon claimed the incident in Pampanga is not a buy-bust but a "hulidap" (extortion).
Though he said they have strong case against the policemen, Gordon said it's "hard to say" if Albayalde really benefitted from the illegal drugs.
He said its up to Ombudsman and Department of Justice if they will file graft and corrupt charges against Albayalde.
"We don't file cases, it's the Secretary of Justice (or) the Ombudsman who file the case," he said.
Gordon said his colleagues will support and sign his committee report.
"I stand by the report, I stand by the evidence that was collected," he said.
The senator said Senator Bong Go will be the one to submit the report to President Rodrigo Duterte.
Last month, Albayalde was placed in hot seat after Baguio City mayor Benjamin Magalong, who is the former head Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) claimed he was a "protector" of ninja cops.
This prompted him to relinquish from his post last October 14 and went on non-duty status. Ella Dionisio/DMS