Sacked Bacolod police chief denies link to illegal drugs, PNP says probe continues

January 17, 2019

Philippine National Police (PNP) Director Genetal Oscar Albayalde on Thursday said the former chief of police of Bacolod City denied being involved in illegal drugs during a meeting with President Rodrigo Duterte last Tuesday.

Albayalde, in an ambush interview at Foreign Correspondents Association of the Philippines Prospects Forum in Makati City, said Duterte ordered the PNP to conduct a full-blown investigation against Senior Superintendent Francisco Ebreo and four police officers he sacked last January 12.

"Of course they deny it that's why the president told us that we will conduct a full-blown investigation. And if they will be found guilty, they will be discharged from the service," Albayalde said.

He said dismissal from service is their maximum penalty.

Albayalde said they will sack more cops if proven they are also involved in the activities of the relieved officers.

"These are all part of the investigation that will be conducted (and) is actually ongoing. If we have to relieve more people there, we will do it and if there is a need to investigate further, we will investigate," he said.

Duterte met with relieved cops on Tuesday and according to Palace Spokesperson Salvador Panelo, he "castigated" the officers for allowing proliferation of illegal drugs to persist in their city.

Panelo also said Duterte expressed frustration why these cops have no knowledge of certain people in Bacolo who are involved in illegal drugs. Ella Dionisio/DMS