The Philippine National Police (PNP) on Thursday said they were confident that the special investigating team looking into the alleged involvement of police officials in the proliferation of illegal drugs in Taguig City would be able to find out the truth.
鈥淭he PNP hierarchy is very much interested in knowing if there is truth to the accusations of PO3 Alexander Saez against Taguig police chief Senior Supt. Tomas Apolinario Jr.,鈥� PNP spokesperson Chief Supt. Generoso Cerbo Jr. told reporters in Camp Crame.
At a news forum on Monday, Saez said Apolinario and nine other members of the Taguig police station鈥檚 anti-illegal drugs special operations task group were behind the reselling of confiscated illegal drugs.
The group was also accused of hiding records of capital crimes in the city in a second police blotter to paint a rosy picture of the city鈥檚 peace and order situation.
Apolinario has denied the allegations, saying members of local drug syndicates operating in the city were behind the smear campaign against him and his men.
Cerbo said the PNP will support whatever is the decision of Director Leonardo Espina, the National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) chief, and the recommendation of the special investigating team on the case.
鈥淲e assure the public that whoever may be found guilty will be dismissed and charged criminally and administratively,鈥� he added.
Taguig Mayor Lani Cayetano has backed the investigation, using the issue to take a swipe at her political rivals.
鈥淚f it is proven that the allegations are true, then let鈥檚 punish the guilty. But if the allegations are proven wrong, we should be quick as well to exonerate the innocent,鈥� she said.
In the same statement, however, Cayetano also asked the NCRPO to look into the 鈥減ersonalities behind the illegal drug trade in Taguig.鈥�
The statement apparently referred to seven members of a drug syndicate arrested earlier who are allegedly relatives of former Taguig City Mayor Freddie Ti帽ga.
Cayetano asked the NCRPO to 鈥渦ncover why the case against the members of the drug syndicate were all dropped or dismissed.鈥�
She added that under her administration since 2010, she had stepped up the campaign against illegal drugs, which led to the arrest of Elisa Ti帽ga, reportedly the third-most wanted drug dealer in Taguig.
Apolinario, however, said he had earned the ire of the Ti帽ga drug syndicate since Elisa Tinga鈥檚 arrest.
Taguig Rep. Freddie Ti帽ga, on the other hand, dismissed Cayetano鈥檚 and Apolinario鈥檚 statements as 鈥減olitical mudslinging.鈥�
鈥淭hese allegations of a Ti帽ga syndicate crop up whenever elections are fast approaching as part of a black propaganda campaign against us,鈥� Ti帽ga said, adding that it is actually Cayetano who has a lot to answer for.
鈥淭he drug situation in Taguig has gotten worse, and you only have the Cayetano administration to blame. If the allegations against the police chief are true, then the mayor should also be held responsible,鈥� he said.
鈥淪he has to face the people and explain why Taguig has deteriorated in such a short span of time under her administration,鈥� he added.