DILG chief says no such thing as 'palit-ulo' in police ops

Interior and Local Government Secretary Mike Sueno on Tuesday said there was no such as "palit-ulo" in anti-drug operations of the Philippine National Police, responding to claims made by Vice President Leni Robredo in a video.

Sueno's statement comes a day after the PNP admitted that it used a "palit-ulo" scheme, but defended it by saying it was not similar to what Robredo described in her video.

“What ‘Palit Ulo’?  There is no such thing as ‘Palit Ulo’ in the anti-drugs operations of the PNP.  I respectfully request the Vice President to please corroborate her statement,” Sueno said.

“It would help if Vice President Robredo presents to us solid proof about this so-called ‘Palit Ulo’ scheme so we can act on it immediately,” he added.

Robredo revealed the alleged scheme in a recorded speech which was posted on YouTube by anti-drug network DRCNet Foundation. She described the scheme in which a “wife or husband or relative of a person in a so-called drug list will be taken if the person himself could not be found.”

PNP chief Dir. Gen. Ronald "Bato" Dela Rosa, meanwhile, said the police used a "palit-ulo" scheme different from what Robredo described.

“‘Yung palit-ulo na common practice ng pulis, meaning ikaw nahuli kita, drug pusher ka, ilaglag mo kung sino yung supplier o drug lord na nasa taas mo, kung masabi mo ‘yan, hindi naman actually papalayain, depende na kung lesser offense, imbes na Section 5 na drug pushing ang magiging kaso ay Sec 11 o possession na lang for a lighter offense basta sabihin kung sino ang source. ‘Yan ang palit-ulo,” he said.

The PNP had earlier hit out at Robredo's revelation, saying she should have taken up the matter with the agency first. Robredo's camp has countered that it had sent a letter to the DILG and to the PNP asking for more information about drug operations.

Sueno said the letter has been forwarded to Usec. for Public Order Catalino Cuy, who dispatched the request to the PNP.

“Wala namang tinatago ang PNP and, in fact, we have always been transparent about OplanTokhang and we have been providing the public regular updates about Tokhang operations through the media,” he said.

Dela Rosa, meanwhile, said the letter did not land on his table. —Joseph Tristan Roxas/JST, GMA News