KASONG NINJA COPS CASE KAY ALBAYALDE, BINASURA SA OMBUDSMAN
Senator Richard Gordon voiced his profound disappointment after the Ombudsman dismissed the graft and drug charges filed against former PNP Chief Oscar Albayalde, linked to the alleged mishandling of confiscated drugs during a 2013 raid in Pampanga. In its two-page resolution dated November 12, Ombudsman Samuel Martires denied the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group's motion for reconsideration, deeming the evidence "insufficient to establish proof of any unlawful act or omission."
Gordon lamented that the grounds for dismissal appeared deliberately contrived to make the case fall apart. The DOJ and Ombudsman ruled that Albayalde's constitutional right to be informed of the accusations was violated, while procedural lapses undermined accountability.
Gordon insisted he is not targeting Albayalde personally, but rather relaying testimony from seven former police generals, including ex-CIDG Chief and Baguio Mayor Benjamin Magalong.
Gordon's probe into the "ninja cops," officers allegedly selling seized drugs from buy-bust operations in Pampanga in 2013 earned praise for its boldness. He recommended filing criminal and administrative charges against Albayalde and the 13 implicated rogue cops. Albayalde, in turn, opted for early retirement in the wake of the controversy.
