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.<\/p>\n\n
\u201cThe 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.,\u201d PNP spokesperson Chief Supt. Generoso Cerbo Jr. told reporters in Camp Crame.<\/p>\n\n
At a news forum on Monday, Saez said Apolinario and nine other members of the Taguig police station\u2019s anti-illegal drugs special operations task group were behind the reselling of confiscated illegal drugs.<\/p>\n\n
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\u2019s peace and order situation.<\/p>\n\n
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.<\/p>\n\n
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.<\/p>\n\n
\u201cWe assure the public that whoever may be found guilty will be dismissed and charged criminally and administratively,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n\n
Taguig Mayor Lani Cayetano has backed the investigation, using the issue to take a swipe at her political rivals.<\/p>\n\n
\u201cIf it is proven that the allegations are true, then let\u2019s punish the guilty. But if the allegations are proven wrong, we should be quick as well to exonerate the innocent,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n\n
In the same statement, however, Cayetano also asked the NCRPO to look into the \u201cpersonalities behind the illegal drug trade in Taguig.\u201d<\/p>\n\n
The statement apparently referred to seven members of a drug syndicate arrested earlier who are allegedly relatives of former Taguig City Mayor Freddie Ti\u00f1ga.<\/p>\n\n
Cayetano asked the NCRPO to \u201cuncover why the case against the members of the drug syndicate were all dropped or dismissed.\u201d<\/p>\n\n
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\u00f1ga, reportedly the third-most wanted drug dealer in Taguig.<\/p>\n\n
Apolinario, however, said he had earned the ire of the Ti\u00f1ga drug syndicate since Elisa Tinga\u2019s arrest.<\/p>\n\n
Taguig Rep. Freddie Ti\u00f1ga, on the other hand, dismissed Cayetano\u2019s and Apolinario\u2019s statements as \u201cpolitical mudslinging.\u201d<\/p>\n\n
\u201cThese allegations of a Ti\u00f1ga syndicate crop up whenever elections are fast approaching as part of a black propaganda campaign against us,\u201d Ti\u00f1ga said, adding that it is actually Cayetano who has a lot to answer for.<\/p>\n\n
\u201cThe 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,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n
\u201cShe has to face the people and explain why Taguig has deteriorated in such a short span of time under her administration,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":37,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[36,38],"tags":[126,3080],"byline":[104,192],"source":[206078],"column":[],"editor":[],"videographer":[],"position":[],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n