Magalong: I don’t remember calling Albayalde

Baguio City Mayor Benjamin Magalong Jr. on Wednesday said he cannot recall asking any favor from Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Police General Oscar Albayalde years ago.

"I cannot recall any incident... Bakit ako tatawag sa kaniya?" Magalong said in an interview on ANC television.

This came after Albayalde’s claim that Magalong had called him sometime from 2006 to 2010 to ask for a favor, adding that he obeyed Magalong's request.

He, however, refused to bare what was the request of the former head of the PNP Criminal Investigation and Detection Group.

Albayalde said during that time, Magalong was placed under floating status because of his coup attempt against then-President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo.

The PNP chief also believes that Magalong was just trying to portray that he is a man of integrity.

In response, Magalong said he just wants to focus on the present issue.

"I don't want to attack personality... I don't want to attack character," Magalong 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. — Anna Felicia Bajo/RSJ, GMA News