Favors? Albayalde says Magalong also asked one from him years ago

Embattled Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Police General Oscar Albayalde on Wednesday bared that Baguio City Mayor Benjamin Magalong had asked a favor from him years ago.

In a television interview, Albayalde said it was some time from 2006 to 2010 when the former chief of the PNP's Criminal Investigation and Detection Group had called him and asked for a favor.

"One time he called for a little favor and now he is saying that a call is a bad thing," Albayalde told ANC.

Albayalde further said he had "obeyed" with the request of Magalong. "I obeyed. I was underclass... it was the call I favorably agreed on the call." 

In the interview, Albayalde was asked what was Magalong's request. He refused to provide details and insisted that Magalong should instead be asked about the request: "I think, you can personally ask him that."

"During that time, he was made to float... I don't know who helped him to go back to the mainstream of the Philippine National Police," Albayalde said.

Reached for his comment, Magalong said he could not remember having called Abayalde.

"I cannot recall any incident... Bakit ako tatawag sa kaniya?" Magalong said.

In a separate interview on Dobol B sa News TV, Albayalde said Magalong was put on floating status because of his attempt to oust former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo from power.

"He was never charged. Why? And he was able to go back," Albayalde said.

During  a Senate hearing on Tuesday, Magalong bared that Albayalde, former chief of the National Capital Region Police Office, had asked then PNP Region 3 Regional Director Aaron Aquino not to implement the dismissal order against 13 police officials who were involved in alleged drug recycling activity in 2013.

Aquino, now the chief of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency, admitted that Albayalde had indeed called him up about the case. Albayalde was the acting police director of Pampanga when the drug operations took place.

Albayalde admitted that he had made the call, but said he had no intention to influence Aquino.

Meanwhile, Albayalde claimed that Magalong was trying to portray that he is a "man of integrity."

"I'm not trying to destroy the integrity of this person. But what I'm trying to say is, I really don't know if he portrays himself as a perfect person," he said. —Anna Felicia Bajo/KBK/RSJ, GMA News