TWENTY of 29 former and active police officers who were ordered arrested for their alleged involvement in a botched P6.7-billion drug case have been arrested and placed in the custody of the Philippine National Police (PNP) as of Monday (Jan. 27).
PNP spokesperson Brig. Gen. Jean Fajardo said 10 of the apprehended policemen were still in the hands of the arresting units, nine were in the PNP Custodial Center, and one was at the Manila City Jail.
Of the nine who are still at large, four are in active duty status, three are retired, and one has been dismissed from the service.
“As of today, we still have nine to account for. That is what the PNP Criminal Investigation and Detection Group and other units are working on,” Fajardo told reporters at Camp Crame in Quezon City.
Fajardo noted that the PNP has not received surrender feelers from those still at large.
“I was talking to Gen. (Nicolas) Torre and he assured the PNP leadership that they won’t stop until the remaining nine have been accounted for,” Fajardo said.
“It is in their best interest to surrender like what the others did so that they can have the opportunity, as a matter of due process, to give their side of the story,” Fajardo added.
Last January 15, the Manila Regional Trial Court (RTC) ordered the arrest of the 29 policemen involved in the bungling of the prosecution of arrested suspects in the controversial 990-kilo drug bust in Tondo in October 2022.
PNP Drug Enforcement Group (PDEG) operatives nabbed a suspected drug pusher in the buy- bust, who subsequently led the cops to a place in Manila where 990 kilos of shabu were recovered.
The establishment was later found to be owned by police MSgt. Rodolfo Mayo Jr., who served as an intelligence officer for the PDEG.
The case became even more controversial following obvious attempts by some ranking police officials to protect Mayo.
