By: Jennifer P. Rendon
SO FAR, no police officer in Western Visayas was involved in recycling of seized illegal drugs, according to the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA)-6.
PDEA-6’s statement corroborated the earlier claims made by Police Regional Office (PRO)-6 that there are no ninja cops in the region.
“I could support that pronouncement. While there could be reports of policemen who might be linked to illegal drugs use or as protectors, there are no reports of cops that are involved in reselling drugs confiscated during operations,” PDEA-6 regional chief Alex Tablate said.
Unlike other parts of the country, the volume of shabu confiscated in Western Visayas is minimal.
“‘Yung recovery dito sa Iloilo, pa-sachet-sachet na nga lang while sa Bacolod City meron pang 100-200 grams,” he said.
Looking back, the allegations of “recycling” will involve kilos of illegal drugs.
“Halimbawa, you seized 50 kilos of shabu. You declared 15 kilos, that would still appear na malaki ang nakuha. ‘Yun pala, may hindi nadeclare na mas malaking quantity,” Tablate said.
The PRO-6 has reiterated that none of its personnel are in the “ninja cops” list, although seven cops are being monitored for their alleged involvement in illegal activities.
The seven policemen are part of the 34 cops who were tagged in the narcotics trade.
Five are assigned in Negros Occidental and one each in PRO-6 headquarters and the Iloilo Police Provincial Office (IPPO).
But while most of the seven policemen are allegedly into illegal drugs, they are not considered as “ninja cops.”
One of the seven cops has alleged links with the New People’s Army (NPA).
Of the seven cops, PRO-6 said four are recommended for adjudication since their alleged links to drugs have “cooled down.”
