By Jennifer P. Rendon
Former New People’s Army (NPA) cadre Jeffrey Celiz might be an expert on anti-insurgency matters, but his credibility on illegal drug issues is questionable, according to the Police Regional Office (PRO) 6.
Brigadier General Jack Wanky, Western Visayas police chief, compared Celiz to controversial police officer Lieutenant Colonel Jovie Espenido, who recently made headlines by claiming that the Philippine National Police (PNP) is the country’s biggest crime syndicate.
“I have high regard for Celiz, particularly for his support of the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) in exposing the true nature of the CPP-NPA,” Wanky said.
Celiz previously served as a consultant for the NTF-ELCAC. When Wanky was the chief of staff at the Philippine National Police Academy (PNPA), Celiz was invited to lecture PNPA cadets on NPA terrorism activities.
“But speaking about the drug situation, I don’t think he’s in a position to do that unless he has evidence to back up his claims,” Wanky added.
Wanky was referring to Celiz’s statement alleging that the police and the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) are the real drug syndicates.
Celiz, who spared former Iloilo City Mayor Jed Patrick Mabilog and current Mayor Jerry Treñas from his accusations, claimed that regional directors of the PNP and PDEA received P2 million in drug money per week.
However, Celiz did not name anyone or specify when these alleged payments occurred.
Wanky dismissed these as age-old allegations that have yet to be proven. He cited the case of former PRO-6 director Bernardo Diaz, who was included on the controversial Duterte drug list.
“His reputation and that of his family were tarnished, but the allegations against him were never proven. The accusations did not prosper,” Wanky said.
The region’s top cop challenged Celiz to come forward with evidence to support his claims.
“Otherwise, it’s better to stay quiet. If not, what he says will be considered mere rhetoric,” Wanky warned.
Wanky urged Celiz to stop making statements that only add to the problem. “But still, I’m challenging him to come out if he has evidence,” Wanky concluded.
