By Christopher Lloyd Caliwan
MANILA – A retired police general who already left the country and was among those charged over the mishandling of the PHP6.7-billion drug haul in October 2022 has expressed intention to surrender, a police official said on Friday.
“There are already surrender feelers regarding that matter. Fino-formalize na lang yung pagbalik ni general para sa kanyang surrender at saka makapag-post siya ng bail kasi bailable ang kaso niya (The general is just formalizing his return and posting of bail since his case is bailable),” Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) chief Brig. Gen. Nicolas Torre III told reporters in a press conference at Camp Crame. He did not identify the police general.
A Manila court has ordered the arrest for 29 police officers for violation of Section 92 of the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002, which pertains to the bungling of the prosecution of drug cases, a bailable offense.
Another Manila court issued a separate warrant for the officers’ arrest for violation of Section 29 of the anti-drug law, which is planting of evidence, a non-bailable offense.
Torre said the police general will be fetched upon his arrival and would be assisted in posting bail.
“Karapatan naman niya ‘yun (That is his right),” he said.
Meanwhile, the CIDG chief said only eight of the 29 wanted police officers remain at large.
He added that CIDG personnel have been working to trace another police general, former Drug Enforcement Group chief Brig. Gen. Narciso Domingo, who posted a 16-minute video on his Facebook account last Jan. 31 urging President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. to look into their case.
Domingo, in his video, claimed that police scalawags manipulating government officials are behind the case against them.
Torre said it is up to Domingo if he wants to surrender, but “eventually the long arm of the law will catch up on him.”
Domingo supervised the October 2022 operation that led to the confiscation of 990 kg. of shabu and the arrest of rogue anti-narcotics officer, dismissed S/Sgt. Rodolfo Mayo Jr. (PNA)
