Crime rings tricked gov鈥檛, fugitive claims
Senatorial aspirant Benhur Abalos and DILG Sec. Jonvic Remulla. —Inquirer file photos
MANILA, Philippines — A fugitive former police general emerged from hiding on Friday, claiming that former Interior Secretary Benhur Abalos, who is now running for senator, and incumbent Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla were both being manipulated by criminal syndicates.
Brig. Gen. Narciso Domingo, former PNP Drug Enforcement Group director, disappeared after he and 29 other police officers were charged over a botched P6.7-billion drug operation in 2022.
In a video message posted on his Facebook account, Domingo refused to surrender to Branches 44 and 175 of the Manila Regional Trial Court, which issued separate arrest warrants against him.
READ: 30 cops face raps over mishandling of P6.7-B shabu bust
The two courts ordered the arrest of Domingo and 28 others on charges that they mishandled the 2022 operation and for planting evidence.
Article continues after this advertisementInstead, Domingo appealed to President Marcos to look into his case, which also involved 29 other police officers, including Police Lt. Gen. Benjamin Santos, who surrendered in 2022 and is now arguing his case in court.
Article continues after this advertisementUndisputed facts
The case stemmed from a police operation in October 2022 that led to the arrest of Police Master Sergeant Rodolfo Mayo and one Ney Atadero. Mayo and Atadero are still under trial.
Last Dec. 10, the Department of Justice (DOJ) recommended the filing of charges against several police officers, for planting evidence and bungling the prosecution of the case stemming from the drug operation
DOJ lawyers claimed irregularities in the operation, including the temporary disappearance of seized narcotics and false reports made by PNP officials, including Domingo, who claimed that Mayo and Atadero were arrested on Oct. 9, 2022, when video recordings showed that they were already in police custody on Oct. 8.
Police first reported that Mayo was arrested at Quiapo Bridge in a hot pursuit operation on Oct. 9, 2022, and was found carrying two kilos of “shabu.”
But security camera footage obtained by the DOJ showed that Mayo was actually arrested on Oct. 8 in a buy-bust operation in Bambang, another area in Tondo.
Domingo appealed to the President to “bring back common sense and order over this brouhaha, over this miscarriage of justice.”
Obfuscating claims
Domingo claimed that Abalos, who was interior secretary at the time, and Remulla were both misinformed by unidentified syndicates out to protect Mayo.
“Of course, those syndicates wanted to save Mayo and wanted to save themselves so they made their own stories,” which he said Remulla and Abalos believed.
Domingo claimed that he informed “Abalos’ subordinate” about Mayo’s arrest only hours after the arrest, but did not specify if it was on Oct. 9 or Oct. 8.
Domingo also denied the claim of Remulla said there was a “grand conspiracy to conceal a criminal enterprise within the PNP” that started in 2016 when a reward system instituted.
“Because if we did follow the reward system of the previous administration, we should’ve killed Mayo. But no, he’s well and alive to this day,” he said.
