Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Gen. Rodolfo Azurin on Monday denied rumors of cover-up the investigation on the involvement of a former police official in the seizure of 990 kilos of shabu or crystal meth worth PHP 6.7 billion in October last year.
In a press conference at the Camp Crame, Azurin said the findings of the special task force created to look into the allegations of 'derailing the investigation' will prove the critics wrong.
And while he admits to the possibility of illegal drugs infiltrating the police force, the PNP chief was also quick to defend the entanglement of his two generals in the controversy.
"Contrary to what many of our critics say, let me categorically say that there was no attempt to cover up or to exculpate [Mayo] from his involvement in the illegal drug operations," Azurin said.
"Why start a fact-finding task group in the first place if there was no intent to dig deeper in the drug mess, which obviously continued to persist through the years. The SITG’s findings will prove wrong the critics’ claim that there was an attempt to derail the investigation," he added.
Mayo was an intelligence officer of the PNP's Drug Enforcement Group (DEG). He was arrested after authorities confiscated nearly 1 ton of suspected shabu following a series of anti-drug operations in Manila.
PNP-DEG chief BGen. Narciso Domingo, meanwhile, was the highest ranking police official allegedly involved in the cover-up based on a memorandum issued by PNP Directorate for Investigation and Detective Management Director MGen. Eliseo Cruz.
Also implicated in the alleged cover-up were PNP-DEG Region 4-A chief Col. Julian Olonan and 45 other PNP officials.
"It's very unfair because we are accusing generals; what is their evidence?" Azurin said. "We really need to observe due process because these are generals that are being accused."
Focus on the real enemy
Azurin then urged Abalos not to rely so much on the people feeding him with information.
“Let me call the attention, also of our kind Secretary of the Interior and Local Government, the honorable Benjamin ‘Benhur’ Abalos, Jr to take a second look on the people who may be feeding him with misinformation to cast doubt on the integrity of the PNP organization which is under his authority,” said Azurin.
“While I join the good SILG in the fight against erring personnel in the police force, let us not lose focus on the real enemy here—which is shabu and the drug syndicates,” he added.
Abalos earlier ordered Domingo, Olonan and the other PNP officials to go on leave pending investigation of the allegations.
