PNP chief Oscar Albayalde was reported to have been one of the Pampanga police officials who acquired a sport utility vehicle shortly after a questionable anti-drug operation in the province in November 2013.
Baguio Mayor Benjamin Magalong, a former head of the PNP Criminal Investigation and Detection Group, said he was ordered by then PNP chief Alan Purisima to investigate why the police officers in the drug operation suddenly had SUVs.
“Actually nabanggit niya pati ‘yang provincial director nila meron din siya,” Magalong told the Senate inquiry into the alleged resale of confiscated drugs by corrupt police officers.
Albayalde the director of Pampanga police at the time of the police operation.
He quickly denied the allegation, saying that what he had during that time was an old pick up truck he bought from a neighbor.
“I really don’t know what personal gripes Mayor Magalong here has against me because this happened in 2013," Albayalde said.
"What I have in 2013 was a pick-up truck, model I don’t know, an old model one, and I can even say that I bought that from a neighbor,” he added.
The 13 police officers in the questioned police operation didn't follow the rules, leading to suspicions that they made money from the confiscated illegal drugs.
They were recommended for dismissal in 2014 but eventually were only demoted by a rank.
“Hindi ko po alam why this is being again… lumalabas after six years. I really do not know the motive of Mayor Magalong ," Albayalde said.
"And again, sabi ko nga, if he has anything against these people, even against me, it could have been done way back 2014, 2015 not during my time as chief PNP,” he added.
Earlier in the hearing, Magalong said Purisima ordered him to conduct an investigation as he received intelligence reports that police officers of Pampanga have newly acquired SUVs.
“Sabi niya (Purisima) sa akin, 'Benjie, imbestigahan mo nga ito. Just recently may operation sa Pampanga 30 kilos ng shabu. Biglang nagkaroon ng sasakyan nang sabay-sabay,'” Magalong said. —NB, GMA News
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