lThe Presidentl
did not ask him
PIIP CllIEI $TEP$ DOI|JII A]tlID DNiJff CllARffE$
redrement, but Bayan Muna officers
chair Neri Colmenares said on
Monday that Albayalde should
not be reappointed ro a
ment office.
kovern-
"Aibayalde should not
be al-
lowed just to cool down an.t
then be appointed to some
Julcy post. He must be held ac_
countable for his actions,,,
Col_
menares said.
ACT Teachers Rep. franie
-
casEo also said holding cn_
called ninja .opa
"..oun"t"bl"
should not stop with their re-
signation.
"If the President is serious
against corruption and ge-
nuinely aims to rid his admi-
nistration of illegal activities,
-the buck should not stop witt,
ceneral Albayalde and it
should not stop with his resig-
nation," Castrc said. him to resign, butjust to take a
. Sen. Richard Gordon on Mon- terminal leave," said Go, Mr.
day said it would be a',nation- Duterte's former longtime aide.
al disappointment" if presi-
dent Duterte allowed former layed his advice to Albayalde
Philippine National police through Ano during a meeting
chief Oscar Albayalde to go between the President and
scot-free despite damaging the home affairs chief early
evidence linking him to ,,recy- on
cling" confiscated drugs, an al-
Iegation that has put in ques-.
tion the government's antinar-
cotics campaign. I met on Saturday afternoon,
Amid allegations of pio-
tecting policemen accused of
selling a huge haul of seized
"shabu" (crystal meth), Albay-
alde stepped down on Mon-
day, three weeks ahead of his
retirement.
"After careful.thought and
deliberation, I have come to.
the decision to relinquish my
post as chief PNP effective to-
day and gd on nonduty status.
Since I arit retiring compulso-
rily on Nov. 8, this will pave
the way for the appointment
of my replacement," he said in
a speech during a flag-raising
ceremony at PNp headquar-
ters in Camp Crame, euezon
City.
Terminal lea?e
"Nonduty status" is the
equivalent in the PNP of ter-
minal leave
TUESDAY / Oc"roBER 15,2019
WWW.INQUIRERNET
Police Brig. Gen. Bernard
Banac said this was the first
time a PNP chief had gone on
terminal leave-
And becauslb.., he had at-
ready stepped down, Alba-
yalde may no longer be given
retirement honors, which had.
been scheduled for Oct. 29,
Banac said.
,
A "simple" turnover cere
mony was held on Monday,
with Interior Secretary Eduar-
do . ARo overseeing the as
sumpdon of Police Lt. Gen.
Archie Gamboa, the pNp
deputy chief for operations, as
officer in charge.
Just before Albayalde an-
nounced his decision, Sen.
Christopher "Bong" Go said
the police general went on ter-
minal leave on Mr. Duterte,s
advice.
"[The President] did nor ask
Go said Mr. Duterte re-
Saturtlay.
.. :
No baggage
He said Aflo and Albayalde
and on Sunday, Albayalde sent
a letter to Malacanang infor-
ming the Palace that he was
going on terminal leave until
his retirement on Nov.8.
The senatoi said the presi- breast of_ ir all and to show 1s3m,,as they say,,,Gaite said
dent had not lost trust in Alj that he doesn't protect any- inastatement.
-Ee -jus- ,isanis ttie one, even uniformed person-
-ayaldE.
PNP to buckle down to work nel, when it comes to the is- Sgsn adamant aboui staying
without having any baggage to sue of corruption," Gordon until his Nov. g retirement.
carry," Go said.
But in his speech on Mon-
day,. Albayalde said he in-
formed ARo of his decision to
step down during their discus-
sion over the weekend of the
Senate investigation of the pil-
fering of seized drugs by rogue
policemen, who sell these back
on the black market.
His early departure came
days after two former police
officials implicated him in a
raid in Pampanga in which 13
to resign, but
just to take a
terminal leave
aflegedly seiz€d ano llysstigaliol.
then sold parts of a large haul Albiyalde relinquishing
of shabu in November zor3, his.-posi is not a pass for hiri
when he was the police chief of to ikip the Senite inquiry,
the province. ,.1
Gordon said.
think the peo-
Beniamin Magalong. a for-
ple will not aliow them to go
merchiefofpoliceforcriminal unpunished. Thar.s why rie
investigation a4d now mayor blue ribbon
[committeel will
91.
B"gyi. City. testified rhar conrinue the investigaiion,"
Albayalde prorecred the oifi- hesaid.
cers from disririssal, while
Senate Minoritv Leader
Rudy Lacadin, Magalong's for-
Franklin Drilon said Albayalde
mer deputy, told ihe Senate in-
quiry that Albayalde admitted
coutd stiu be held liable for his
actions even after stepping
receiving 'Just a little" from the
down.
drug haul.
Albayalde has vehemently ,Not closure'
denied the allegariorls. and Sen. Risa Hontiveros said
warned the witnesses that he Albayalde leaving his post ear_
will take legal action against tywas,,not closuie.,,
them. "Rather, this is an impor-
tant development in the peo-
Enough evidence ple,s quesr for truth. juitice
--
ln hls speech on Monday, and accounrability," Hon_
Albayalde insisted on his inno- tiveros said in a statement.
cence. saying ihe allegations of Milirant lawmakers on
the.witnesses "were apparent- Monday said Albayalde,s deci
ly inspired by the publicity sion to step down was inten_
ilhat hadl accompanied rhe ded ro conrain the fallout from
SenaleinlestiRarion. rheSenateinvestigarion.
But Gordon, chair of the
s"."i" ui'" iiol"''."--r,,". - iTr"ff;:i
that is investigating the Scan- ""J%:,ry:l,i
early departure was iniended
dal, on Monday said the in- to hide the cracks in Mr.
quiry had gathered enough evi- Duterte,s
war on drugs.
dence to promprl4r. Duterte to ,.They
are tryinf to mini_
order lhe Department ot Jus- m12s fhe aamage ttr"at Generit
tice to bring complaints Albavalde,s involvement had
against Albaydlde ald the 13 done. which is why he was lei
politemen
Ar ldr as ..
go earlier. Malacanang officia.ls
. I m concerned, may have talked to Albayalde
this is a good opportunity for over the weekend for him to
the Presideltt to make a clean resign and .take one for the
He noted that Albayalde had
said.
Aske d whar wourd happen n",: ff i:'"?JJt;ff Hf ff":l:
if Albayalde would not be in- inygsligllion has further ex,
-- - -.. wno- outt i*llnJ5ll
9:..1:g,l,ltg,!:. posed ihe bosus character of
olllclals wnue lacrne the
""-^'--;"' :
drug war of President
l-'-
corruD on cnarses. uordon _
:ir,"i Duterte,"cairesaid. _REpoRrs
,"ia, ;;ii';;; #;;i
disappointment." FRoM MARLoN RAMos, Jovrc yEE,
"lf the people accept this, LEIIA B. SALAVERRIA, JUTIE M. AURE-
then it's on all of us. If the Pre- Lro, vrNCENT caBREza, lB nrplno
sident accepts this, then it's his REUTETS INQ
fault," he added.
Gordon said Albayalde's \ Taulr )o^e€q
departure would not stop his
committee from pursuing its