Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, January 15) — The Department of Justice will finally issue its resolution on the “ninja cops” controversy before the week ends.

Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra made the announcement Wednesday in a media forum in Manila.

“I was just informed by the Office of the Prosecutor General and that’s the case of the ninja cops. I was informed within the week, maybe by Friday, a resolution will come out,” Guevarra said.

The DOJ three months ago re-opened the case involving 13 policemen tagged in the supposed recycling of some ₱50 million worth of drugs and cash from a suspected high-profile drug trafficker during police operations in Pampanga in 2013.

In October, Guevarra formed a three-man panel of prosecutors consisting of Senior Assistant State Prosecutor Alexander Suarez, and Assistant State Prosecutors Josie Christina Dugay and Gino Paolo Santiago to review the case of PMAJ Rodney Baloyo and all the other policemen who were accused.

Former Philippine National Police (PNP) chief PGen Oscar Albayalde resigned from his post after Baguio City Mayor Benjamin Magalong, former chief of the PNP’s Criminal Investigation and Detection Group, accused him of blocking the dismissal of his men.

Albayalde was Pampanga’s provincial director when the questionable drug raid happened.

READ: DILG probe finds no strong evidence linking Albayalde to ‘ninja cops’

Guevarra issued Department Order 528 dated October 7 requiring all the accused to participate in the “reinvestigation of the complaint and to submit any additional evidence on October 16”.

The Senate investigation wrapped up on the second week of November, with Albayalde denying his involvement in the case and insisted that he only let his subordinates do the job since he thought it was a “simple” anti-drug operation.

READ: Albayalde resigns as PNP Chief amid ‘ninja cops’ controversy