PNP general in P6.7-B drug mess surrenders, posts bail
Philippine National Police headquarters in Camp Crame
MANILA, Philippines — Former Philippine National Police (PNP) deputy chief for operations Lt. Gen. Benjamin Santos Jr. surrendered to the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) on Tuesday morning.
Santos is among the 29 police officers listed in the arrest warrant issued by the Manila Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 44 for the bungling of the prosecution of a drug case in relation to the P6.7-billion shabu haul in October 2022.
“At 4:48 a.m. this morning, he surrendered to the CIDG and he was read a warrant of arrest and went through the normal booking procedures,” PNP spokesperson Brig. Gen. Jean Fajardo told reporters in Filipino in a Viber message on Tuesday.
“The CIDG waited for him at the Naia Terminal 1. Prior to this, there were surrender feelers sent by the CIDG through his lawyer,” she added.
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Article continues after this advertisementIn a press briefing in Camp Crame on Tuesday, CIDG Director Brig. Gen. Nicolas Torre III said Santos came from Singapore.
Fajardo previously said – without naming him – that one of the two generals involved in the P6.7-billion drug case was already out of the country before the first arrest warrant was issued.
According to Fajardo, Santos posted a P200,000 bail upon his return to the Philippines.
“After posting a P200,000 bail, at 9:12 a.m. today, the CIDG released Gen. Santos from custody, pursuant to the release order issued by the RTC Manila Branch 44,” she added.
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Meanwhile, Manila RTC Branch 175 dismissed the case against Santos for planting evidence, a non-bailable offense that the 28 other police officers now face.
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Torre adds that seven of the wanted personnel remain at large, including former Drug Enforcement Group chief Brig. Gen. Narciso Domingo.
