DILG Sec. Jonvic Remulla | PHOTO: Official Facebook page of the Office of the Chief PNP
MANILA, Philippines 鈥斅� Interior and Local Government Secretary Jonvic Remulla on Monday suspected a 鈥済rand conspiracy鈥� to conceal criminal activities within the Philippine National Police (PNP), noting that an investigation into drug-related operations from 2016 will be conducted.
This was in connection with the recent indictment of 30 PNP officers over an alleged fabricated drug haul in 2022, the Department of the Interior and Local Government chief said on Monday.
鈥淭his is my personal opinion鈥攖hat there appears to be a grand conspiracy to conceal a criminal enterprise within the PNP,鈥� said Remulla.
鈥淲e will go back to 2016 all the way down to 2022鈥� it is our theory, but not proven, that because of the reward system instituted by the PNP when 2016 started, drug hauls were not being reported, and because there was a reward, they would take small amounts and put them there. With the reward, they would have an accomplishment,鈥� he also said in a mix of Filipino and English.
Remulla was referring to the alleged reward system revealed by retired Police Col. Royina Garma during a House quad committee hearing last October.
Garma told lawmakers that former President Rodrigo Duterte offered cash rewards for every drug suspect killed in his administration鈥檚 war on drugs.
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In the Palace briefing, Remulla was asked whether the DILG and the Department of Justice believe the legitimacy of the supposed reward system.
鈥淚 think it was made very clear during the quad comm by [former] PCSO chair Garma that there was a reward system, that there was a corresponding value to every seizure and arrest鈥illing,鈥澛燫emulla responded.