Magalong says 'moral obligation' drove him to speak out vs. 'ninja cops'

Baguio City Mayor Benjamin Magalong on Wednesday said "moral obligation" was his only motive appearing before a Senate hearing and testifying regarding "ninja cops," or policemen involved in the recycling of seized illegal drugs.

Interviewed on Dobol B sa News TV, Magalong, a retired police officer who once headed the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group, said he was even reluctant to attend the Senate hearing.

“I didn't volunteer for this. I do not even like to appear [in the hearing]. Alam ni Senator [Richard] Gordon yan. It is just that nabigyan lang ako ng moral obligation,” Magalong said.

In a separate interview on Dobol B sa News TV, Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Police General Oscar Albayalde questioned Magalong's timing and insinuations, saying it could be due to "internal politics."

“There's something bigger here. Our internal politics, that's one,” he said.

Albayalde pointed out that he was invited to the hearing as a resource person, but it turned out that he was being accused.

During  a Senate hearing on Tuesday, Magalong said 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.

Magalong said that his statements during the hearing was spontaneous and not scripted. “I was just answering to the best of my abilities,” he said.

“Hindi naman ako ang tumawag kay Senator Gordon at sabihin sa kanya, ‘Imbitahin mo ko!’” he added. —Joviland Rita/KBK, GMA News