Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, April 18) — Interior Secretary Benhur Abalos said the CCTV footage of the ₱6.7 billion drug bust last October is “in itself a statement” of what happened after the country’s police chief asked for evidence to back his claims of an alleged cover-up within the police force.
“In law, there is the principle of RES IPSA LOQUITUR,” Abalos wrote in a Facebook post on Tuesday. “The thing speaks for itself. The video in itself is a statement of what transpired.”
Last week, Abalos alleged that some high-ranking police officials may have been involved in an attempt to cover up the arrest of anti-narcotics officer Sergeant Rodolfo Mayo after some 990 kilos of shabu were seized from his property in Tondo, Manila.
In a briefing, he presented CCTV footage of the anti-drug operation which showed Mayo being handcuffed and uncuffed multiple times. According to Abalos, the events were different from the narration contained in the PNP reports.
Police officers were also found to have pilfered 42 kilos — worth over ₱285 million — of shabu from the drug haul, the Cabinet official said.
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But Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Rodolfo Azurin Jr. on Monday denied the “cover-up” accusations against his men, calling these “very unfair.”
“Let us show proof before we even accuse,” he said.
Azurin added that Abalos, who supervises the PNP as head of the Interior department, may have been fed with misinformation to cast doubt on the integrity of the organization.
Abalos, however, stood by his move to name police officials who were allegedly in connivance with Mayo.
“While I respect General Azurin, I am sure he agrees with me that the public deserves to know the truth,” he said.
“Hindi lamang sa isyu ng 42 kilos kundi higit sa lahat sa kung ano ang nangyari sa 900 kilos na nakumpiska [Not only on the issue of the 42 kilos of shabu, but more importantly, on what happened to the confiscated 900 kilos],\” Abalos added.
The secretary also said that he trusts that the National Police Commission will thoroughly investigate the matter.
