Albayalde: No EJKs, just murder cases, ‘bungled’ police ops, people taking advantage

National Capital Region Police Office Chief Superintendent Oscar Albayalde on Tuesday claimed that the deaths that have occurred under the Duterte administration are non-state-sponsored murders, "bungled" police operations, and people taking advantage of Rodrigo Duterte's campaign rhetoric, but not extrajudicial killings.

In an interview in News To Go, Albayalde backed the Philippine National Police's (PNP) report that there are zero EJK cases in the country.

"'Yan ang mga homicide and murder cases na nangyayari that really need to be investigated," he said.

He said that the deaths of teenage boys Kian Loyd delos Santos, Carl Angelo Arnaiz, and Reynaldo "Kulot" de Guzman are not considered EJKs.

"Those are police operations. Pwedeng nag-bungle ang operations, probably," Albayalde said.

Of the shooting of delos Santos, Albayalde said, "[H]indi naman most probably alam ng ating police operatives kung talagang siya ay minor or not. Remember in a gun battle hindi mo naman pwede tanungin sa isang tao kung ilang taon siya bago mo siya babarilin, kung siya ay may baril o binabaril ka niya."

Witnesses to the police officers' taking delos Santos away, however, detailed a prolonged interaction between the policemen and the teenager before he was shot.

In response to a question about the rise in killings since Duterte took office, Albayalde again took the heat off active police officers and the administration, pointing to individuals "taking advantage" of Duterte's pronouncements for their own vendettas, and erring or former police officers.

"Merong mga sector na nag-take advantage dito. We could not discount the fact na pwede rin 'yung mga pulis dito, whether 'yung mga AWOL or deactive. Remember meron na tayong nahuli na pulis dito na nilaglag niya o binaril niya 'yung kanyang peddler...somewhere in Laguna or Batangas pero nabuhay siya," he said.

As to whether people are emboldened by Duterte's words to kill, Albayalde said, "'Yung sabi ngang 'sagot ng pangulo,' sinabi na nga niya na hindi niya ito-tolerate yung pag-aabuso ng mga pulis."

Even though Duterte previously encouraged cops to kill drug users and traffickers and promised them protection, Albayalde said this cannot be a basis to go beyond the law.

"Still due process ang sinusunod dito eh. Hindi kasi natin pwedeng gamitin yung pangako ng ating pangulo to go beyond the law," he said.

He maintained that due process is still being followed, pointing to the police officers in delos Santos' case facing an investigation.

"It's supposed to be a legit police operation. But then sabi ko nga, merong pagkakamali ang ating kapulisan, may nakita tayong pagkakamali. And so kung sinasabi ng ating pangulo na talagang he has our back, most probably 'yung ginawa natin sa pulis natin tinransfer lang natin somewhere in Mindanao, and then lumamig then we bring them back. And yet, siya mismo ang nagsabi, 'Ikulong 'yang mga iyan. File-an ng kaso ang mga iyan'," he said.

"Ang sinasabi niya rito siguro yung suporta, that gave us motivation," he added. — Jessica Bartolome/BM, GMA News