THE Department of Justice (DOJ) filed charges against 30 police officers, including two generals, on Monday, accusing them of a “grand conspiracy to cover up a criminal enterprise” related to a high-profile drug case. The respondents include a former PNP Deputy Chief for Operations and a former chief of the PNP Drug Enforcement Group (PDEG).
The charges stem from the October 2022 seizure of 990 kilograms of shabu (methamphetamine) worth P6.7 billion in Manila. The initial police narrative claimed PMSgt. Rodolfo Mayo was apprehended in a hot pursuit operation on October 9, 2022, possessing two kilograms of shabu, and that Ney Atadero was arrested separately in a buy-bust operation in Tondo on October 8. This was presented as the largest drug bust in Philippine history.
However, CCTV footage obtained by the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) and the National Police Commission (Napolcom) revealed significant inconsistencies. The footage showed Mayo was actually arrested in a buy-bust operation in Bambang on October 8. The October 9 arrest, investigators allege, was staged to cover up irregularities in the earlier arrest.
The Napolcom investigation revealed that arresting officers failed to properly report and documented the October 8 buy-bust operation, omitting Mayo’s involvement in the 990-kilogram shabu seizure at his own Wealth and Personal Development (WPD) Lending office in Tondo. Furthermore, Mayo was inexplicably released later that day to participate in another operation in Pasig City. CCTV footage also disproved the police claim of a separate buy-bust operation at the WPD office on October 8, resulting in Atadero’s arrest.
The Napolcom investigation found that police officers removed several kilograms of shabu from the WPD office before inventory, allegedly as a reward for a confidential informant. This shabu was later “recovered” near Camp Crame. Napolcom Vice Chairperson and Executive Officer Ricardo Bernabe III described this as an illegal act and a blatant violation of the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002.
CCTV footage also showed high-ranking PNP officials, including PBGen. Narciso Domingo and PLtGen. Benjamin Santos, arriving at the WPD office after the drug discovery.
The Napolcom En Banc previously issued administrative penalties: 21 officers were dismissed from service, 16 were demoted, 4 were suspended for six months, and 12 cases were dismissed.
The recommendations for dismissal of three presidential appointees are pending confirmation by the Office of the President. Administrative proceedings against LtGen. Santos are currently suspended due to a writ of preliminary injunction. The DOJ’s filing of criminal charges marks a significant development in this ongoing investigation.
