Ex-PNP investigator claims Albayalde told him ‘konti lang ang napunta sa akin d'yan’

A former police official claimed Wednesday that Philippine National Police chief Police General Oscar Albayalde told him that the latter only got a small portion on the controversial buy bust operation conducted by Pampanga police officers in November 2013.

During the resumption of the Senate hearing on ninja cops, Baguio City Mayor Benjamin Magalong, former  Criminal Investigation and Detection Group chief, said he tapped then CIDG deputy director for operations Rudy Lacadin to conduct a discreet investigation on the buy-bust operation.

Before making a statement, Lacadin told the Blue Ribbon and Justice committees that he is a friend of Albayalde's and that they were partners in a water business.

“As a friend, it pains me to give a statement that might affect the integrity of a fellow officer but in as much as we are seeking the truth there was a time during the investigation that I am conducting, I cannot remember if he (Albayalde) was still the provincial director of Pampanga at that time, he called me up,” he said.

He said Albayalde asked him if he was indeed conducting an investigation on the Pampanga incident, to which he replied in the affirmative.

“Sabi ko ‘Yes, Oca. I cannot inform you na nagka-conduct ako ng investigation, this is just a validation.  But if you have nothing to hide, wala naman kayong dapat katakutan’,” said Licadin.

“I don’t know if he is joking but ang sabi niya, ‘Actually, sir, konti lang ang napunta sa akin dyan’,” he added.

He said he did not press Albayalde further about his statement because he does not want to be influenced in the validation process.

Albayalde, in response, raised the possibility that there was a conspiracy to pin him down.

“Ano po ‘yung consipiracy dito.  It seems everybody is ganging up on me. I really do not know. It is very unlikely na General Lacadin na sasabihan ko siya, we never had the chance of being under one office.  Hindi ko alam kung ano ang against sa akin ni General Lacadin,” he said.

He added that if he really uttered those words, why was he not charged.

“Kung sabihin mong sinabi ko yun ang tanong ko ulit why was I not charged, after all these investigations, tatlo na po ang nag-imbestiga.  Why in all the investigation hindi ako na-imbestigahan,” he said.

Senator Richard Gordon, committee chairman, also asked the same question.

“Lahat ng tao kinasuhan n’yo agad, si Gen. Albayalde isinantabi nyo,  administrative relief, tinanggal siya. Ano ang kasalanan bakit hindi n’yo siya chinarge?” he said.

Former PNP chief Alan Purisima, who ordered the investigation against the Pampanga police then headed by Albayalde, said that maybe during that time there was no evidence against the now PNP chief.

“Maybe during the time that the investigation was conducted, there was no solid evidence yet on the involvement of Gen. Albayalde. If we charge him there should be strong evidence, maybe as of that time there was no evidence,” he said.

But Magalong said there were police officers who wanted to testify but they backed out.

“‘Yung ibang miyembro gusto sana magsalita pero nung nag-file ng kaso ang regional office natakot sila nung malaman nilang mahina ang kaso. We tried our best to convince them to testify, wala ho, hindi namin naconvince. Natakot na po sila,” he said.

“Kaya I keep on saying admittedly we don’t have hard evidence against Gen. Albayalde,” he added. — MDM, GMA News