No politics in probe of ‘ninja cops’ – Sotto

Credit to Author: Tempo Desk| Date: Sat, 05 Oct 2019 09:24:20 +0000

Senate President Vicente Sotto criticized presidential spokesperson Salvador Panelo yesterday for insinuating that politics was involved in the Senate probe on the so-called “ninja cops.”

Panelo, who is in Russia accompanying President Duterte who is there for a state visit, aired suspicion about the Senate intention in investigating the involvement of ninja policemen.

“Ang ayaw ko dito sa Senate investigation, I have to say my piece: I cannot even understand why parang pinapalabas nila ‘yong administrasyon eh is failing in the drug war,” he said.

“Basta nagkakaroon ng kulay politika ito. Supposedly nag-umpisa ‘yan sa good behavior allowance time issue lang tapos napunta na kung saan-saan. Napunta na sa drug war,” he added.

But the presidential spokesman’s remarks did not sit well with Sotto, who has repeatedly justified the hearings being led by Sen. Richard Gordon.

“Drug war? It was an issue in the previous administration. Recycling of drugs using New Bilibid Prison contacts. What’s his problem?” the Senate leader said in response to Panelo’s remarks.

The Gordon-led Senate Committees on Justice and Blue Ribbon were probing the release of heinous crime convicts through the Good Conduct Time Allowance law following reports the Bureau of Correction approved the early freedom of convicted rapist and murderer former Calauan, Laguna Mayor Antonio Sanchez.

Witnesses were invited to the hearing and bared that aside from the “GCTA-for-sale” scheme, various money-making modus are also happening inside the NBP, including illegal drugs trade.

The legislative inquiry into the GCTA controversy morphed into the issue on ninja cops when former Philippine National Police-Criminal Investigation and Detection Group director now Baguio City Mayor Benjamin Magalong, last Sept. 19, bared that rogue Philippine National Police members who recycle confiscated drugs transact with drug lords at the NBP in Muntinlupa City.

“In the course of that investigation of the NBP, nabanggit niya (Magalong) na talagang nangyayari ‘yan, and
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