Chief State Prosecutor Richard Anthony Fadullon (Photo from DOJ鈥檚 Facebook page)
MANILA, Philippines 鈥� Chief State Prosecutor Richard Anthony Fadullon said 鈥渒arma is real鈥� for those who cover up the truth as he reaffirmed the government鈥檚 stance in indicting 30 police officers involved in the P6.7 billion worth of shabu drug bust.
Fadullon, head of the National Prosecution Service (NPS), made the statement after one of the 30 accused policemen, PBrig.Gen. Narciso Domingo reminded him that he should know what is right.
READ: 30 cops face raps over mishandling of P6.7-B shabu bust
鈥淭o Prosecutor Fadullon, sir, alam mo naman ang tama. Para sa bayan lang tayo. Karma is real (To Prosecutor Fadullon, sir, you know what is right. We are only for the country. Karma is real),鈥� Domingo said in a video posted on social media.
Domingo said he visited Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla, and on one occasion, Remulla called on Fadullon and a certain Atty. Magno from the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) to join the meeting.
Domingo said the two were called by Remulla 鈥減ara tulungan akong maging airtight yung kaso, hindi makawala si (PMSgt. Rodolfo) Mayo sa kaso nya (to help me make the case airtight, ensuring that Mayo could not escape from it).鈥�
Fadullon confirmed meeting Domingo and PNP Drug Enforcement Group (PDEG) legal officer Col. Darwin Paz at the DOJ in late 2022 after filing a case against dismissed police officer Mayo.
However, he clarified that the meeting 鈥渨as not about helping PDEG strengthen the case against Mayo but rather to hear out Domingo and Paz鈥檚 account of the operations.鈥�
鈥淚 was called to hear out what Gen. Domingo and the legal of PDEG, Col. Darwin Paz had to say. I asked PGen Domingo and Col. Paz to narrate their version of the operations,鈥� Fadullon said.
鈥淎s early as then, it was clear that there were a lot of flaws in their story,鈥� Fadullon stated, citing inconsistencies such as why Domingo agreed to release Mayo despite his arrest and how they could justify his subsequent re-arrest when records already showed he had participated in the bungled operation.
Fadullon also questioned why the case against Mayo was filed before the Office of the City Prosecutor in Manila when the sized illegal drugs amounted to nearly a ton. He said the DOJ鈥檚 Task Force should have handled such a case.
He further said that at Domingo鈥檚 meeting with the DOJ, the only evidence presented was Domingo鈥檚 testimony and that of his lawyer, Col. Paz, without supporting documentation or proof.
鈥淭he subsequent investigation by the PNP Directorate for Investigation and Detective Management (DIDM) and the National Police Commission (Napolcom) later uncovered critical evidence, including authenticated CCTV footage, which revealed the inconsistencies in the initial narrative,鈥� Fadullon said.
鈥淚f I were to follow the arguments of PGen Domingo, it would appear that because he came to see the SOJ in 2022, he should be absolved of any liability. This is erroneous and downright absurd,鈥� Fadullon added, further stating that Domingo鈥檚 initial account was 鈥渋ncomplete and sanitized to suit his benefit.鈥�
Fadullon advised Domingo to seek legal remedies instead of going public to gain sympathy..
鈥淚f PGen Domingo believes that the DOJ erred in indicting him, then he should know that he has legal remedies available. Resorting to social media to gain sympathy is definitely not the right track to follow, especially when the narrative presented is flawed and slanted,鈥� he said.