PNP says Duterte has power to relieve Bacolod cops

January 14, 2019

Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Oscar Albayalde on Monday said there is no need to question the decision of President Rodrigo Duterte in removing the Bacolod City chief of police and four other officials for alleged involvement in illegal drugs.

"Well, first of all, I think we don't have a right to question the decision of our president (Rodrigo Duterte) because we all know for a fact that the president has unlimited sources of information also. Not only coming from the Philippine National Police," Albayalde said in a press briefing in Camp Crame.

"If that is the wisdom of the president, we need to implement it," he said.

Albayalde said the information Duterte has mostly came from his own sources.

"I think a little part of it. Probably it came from PNP and most of it came from other sources of the president," he said.

He said the president is being briefed on the information from the PNP on a daily basis.

Albayalde said they did not relieve the officers from post after having the small information since they didn't have enough basis to do so that time.

"We don't have basis during that time to immediately relieve because we don't want that just because of we have this small information, we decide. The information was released just a few weeks back or probably only last week just before the president announced the relieved of this person," he said.

The PNP chief defended Duterte saying he is the country's commander in chief and whatever he says is taken as a directive.

"Remember when the president says that (relieved), that is a specific directive, specific instruction coming from no less than the commander in chief himself. It's more than the chief PNP. When I instruct it will be (effective) immediately, what more the president," Albayalde explained.

Albayalde assured the police officers who are expected to meet Duterte in Malacanang Monday that they will be given due process.

"We will give them due process, the only thing is their relief and investigation. There will be afforded due process also. Not because they were relieved, they will be guilty already," he said.

"Their relief is an administrative relief. It's preventive pending the conduct of investigation. TheY will not be outright dismissed from the service," he added.

Once the allegation is proven, He said investigation will be continuous to look for other officers probably involved in illegal drugs.

"If this is true, of course it will give bad feeling for us. but then again, as I said we have to... before we have to comment on this, we have to know everything first. We have to validate, investigate this thoroughly," said Albayalde.

"We don't know if there are others involved, right? We are not closing this investigation (just) because of them being relieved already. Who knows? Because remember, if this is true that (their involved and) they are the senior officers, then it's automatic they are ordering someone here," he added.

Duterte sacked Senior Superintendent Francisco Ebreo, Bacolod City chief of police; Superintendent Richie Makilan Yatar, Superintendent. Nasruddin Daud Tayuan, Superintendent Victor Paulino, and Senior Superintendent Allan Rubi Macapagal during his speech in Bacolod last Saturday.

Ebreo was allegedly enabling the proliferation of illegal drugs in the city by protecting commissioned and non-commissioned police officers who are allegedly involved in illegal drugs. Ella Dionisio/DMS