Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, April 12) — Philippine National Police-Drug Enforcement Group (PNP-PDEG) Director PBGen. Narciso Domingo was relieved from his post amid his alleged involvement in the ₱6.7-billion shabu haul “cover-up” in October 2022.
According to a document from the PNP, the order to remove Domingo from his post took effect on April 12. He was reassigned to the Office of the PNP chief.
PBGen. Faro Antonio Olaguera, a lawyer and director of the PNP Legal Service, will replace him as head of the PDEG.
Domingo and PCol. Julian Olonan, chief of PDEG Special Operations Unit Region 4A, earlier announced they will file a leave of absence to heed Interior Secretary Benhur Abalos’ call amid the alleged “massive attempt” to cover up the arrest of anti-drug intelligence officer PSgt. Rodolfo Mayo.
Mayo owns the property where nearly a metric ton of methamphetamine hydrochloride, also known as shabu, worth ₱6.7 billion was seized by authorities last October.
Besides Domingo and Olonan, the interior secretary asked several other high-ranking police officials to go on leave.
Abalos presented CCTV footage of the Oct. 8 anti-drug operation, which he said shows a “different scenario” from the narration of events in the reports provided by the PNP.
The video showed a cuffed Mayo entering and leaving his establishment, then boarding and alighting from a gray SUV multiple times. He was also uncuffed at some point in the footage.
Domingo has denied the allegations of a cover-up.
He said if they were really in connivance with Mayo, they would have destroyed the CCTV footage.
Domingo did admit that there were lapses in how police conducted the operation, as seen in the CCTV footage, but he said he and Olonan were not at the scene yet when these lapses happened.
He added that these can be considered a tactical move in order for Mayo to lead them to a bigger haul – a warehouse containing more drugs.
“Sa kagustuhan natin na makakuha pa ng mas maraming drugs at mas malaking bodega pa…kinlearance po natin ‘yan sa mas nakakataas sa atin na magsagawa ng follow-up operation,” he said.
[Translation: Because we wanted to seize more drugs in a bigger warehouse, we asked for clearance from the higher-ups to conduct a follow-up operation.]
However, he explained that the plan did not push through due to fears Mayo may be murdered.
