Barbers warns vs. delay in probe of top cop linked to drugs

The Philippine National Police (PNP) should not drag its feet in resolving the case of Police Sergeant Rodolfo Mayo, Jr., an intelligence officer arrested over possession of drugs in October 2022, Surigao del Norte Representative Robert Ace Barbers said.

“The current investigations being conducted by a PNP special investigation task group (SITG) created for the purpose have not come out with any substantial evidence or leads on Mayo’s case six months after he was arrested. Why is it that the said PNP SITG is foot-dragging or dilly-dallying on their probe?” Barbers, chairperson of the committee on dangerous drugs, said in a statement.

“Are they covering up for something we don’t know or are they still trying to make up a different script about his arrest and involvement in shabu stockpiling and possibly for recycling?" he added.

Despite earning a monthly salary of only P34,079, Barbers said the police sergeant owns a lending institution catering to police officers.

"Is he the sole proprietor of his business which many believe is a convenient cover for his illegal drug activities," he said.

In October 2022, police conducted a raid in Manila that resulted in the busting  of around 890 kilos shabu worth P6.7 billion and the arrest of a suspect.

A follow-up operation led later to the apprehension of Mayo who was caught allegedly in possession of two kilos of suspected shabu worth P13.6 million.

The shabu haul was reportedly stored inside a money lending office owned by Mayo, but police reports did not indicate the place and date of his arrest.  

“Nais ko, pati na siguro ng taongbayan, na malaman kung ano na ang latest update sa kaso ni Sgt. Mayo. Alam naman natin na hindi makakagalaw si Mayo mag-isa sa kanyang illegal na gawain. Gusto rin natin malaman kung ang nakumpiskang shabu sa Tondo ay mga naipon sa past anti-drug operations o ang mga ito’y bagong delivery from China,” Barbers said.

(The public and I both want to know the update on the Mayo case. We all know he cannot do such illegal activity alone. We also want to know if the confiscated shabu in Tondo [Manila] are an aggregate amount from past police anti-drug operations or new delivery from China.)

PNP chief General Rodolfo Azurin Jr. earlier said that a ranking police official, whom he did not identify and is under investigation, was responsible for bringing Mayo back to PNP-Drug Enforcement Group (DEG).

Former PNP chief Ronald dela Rosa has also accused Mayo of being among the ninja cops, or police officers involved in the illegal drug trade. Dela Rosa said he reassigned Mayo to Mindanao in 2016 when he was PNP chief.

Dela Rosa also expressed concern how Mayo was reassigned to the PNP-DEG despite his background.

Barbers earlier said that an informant have told him in an executive session that 30% to 70% of the drugs nabbed by the police in their anti-drug operations are being used as reward to informants of a successful anti-drug operations and such informants sell these illegal drugs in the process.

GMA News Online has reached out to PNP for comment and will publish its reply as soon as it becomes available.—LDF, GMA Integrated News