Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, April 14) — The deputy chief for operations of the Philippine National Police (PNP) who was relieved from his post described as “baseless” Interior Secretary Benhur Abalos’ claim that he may be involved in an attempt to cover up an anti-narcotic officer’s arrest during a massive drug bust operation.
PLtGen. Benjamin Santos Jr. held a press briefing with his lawyer on Friday in a move to clear his name after Abalos implicated him and several other high-ranking police officials and asked them to file a leave of absence.
The three-star general said Abalos’ pronouncement on Monday came as a “shock.\”
Strongly denying involvement, Santos said he was not given a chance to explain his side and that the reputation he has taken care of in the PNP for more than 32 years “was smeared all due to a simple appearance in CCTV footage that has no context or even weight in the proper fora.”
\”While I fully support Secretary Abalos in his objective to cleanse the PNP of scalawags, I also passionately believe that this should be done in the spirit of transparency, fairness, truth and accountability,\” he said. \”Otherwise, in our fight against monsters, we risk becoming monsters ourselves.\”
Presenting a clip of the Oct. 8 anti-drug operation, Abalos claimed that the officers attempted to cover up Sergeant Rodolfo Mayo’s arrest following the confiscation of ₱6.7-billion worth of shabu from his property last October.
The video showed a cuffed Mayo entering and leaving his lending establishment, then boarding and alighting from an SUV multiple times. He was also uncuffed at some point.
Abalos said this was a “different scenario” from the narration of events contained in the PNP reports.
Santos, however, explained that he only went to the crime scene, cutting his birthday celebration short, upon the orders of PNP chief Rodolfo Azurin Jr.
In an interview with CNN Philippines’ News Night on Friday, Santos claimed that he immediately ordered authorities to include Mayo in the inquest after he recovered his ID from an illegal drug operation.
Santos also insisted that PNP-Drug Enforcement Group (PDEG) Director PBGen. Narciso Domingo did not ask any clearance from him to exclude Mayo in the investigation.
“In the first place, it is the operation of PNP-PDEG. Wala akong kinalaman doon, [Translation: I had nothing to do with it.]” he said in an interview.
He said the anti-drug operation was already finished by the time he arrived and that he simply provided guidance to the other officers to strictly follow the chain of custody rule.
“Noong dumating ako, pinakawalan na nila. So it is impossible na sasabihin niya sa akin na nagpaalam siya dahil wala pa ako doon sa scene,” he added.
[Translation: When I arrived, they already released him. So it is impossible to tell that he asked permission from me because I was not there at the scene yet.]
Santos added that he wasn’t implicated during the “extensive” Senate inquiry into the shabu haul, maintaining that the lawmakers “would not have missed the involvement of a three-star general if there is an iota of truth to the allegation of Secretary Abalos.”
The relieved official, who will retire from the police service in six months, said he is open to any investigation to prove his innocence.
A day after Abalos publicly made the allegations, two other high-ranking police officials – namely, PNP-Drug Enforcement Group (PDEG) Director PBGen. Narciso Domingo and PDEG Special Operations Unit Region 4A chief PCol. Julian Olonan – also denied involvement but said they will heed the call to go on leave.
