DOJ summons ‘ninja cops’ for probe of 2013 Pampanga drug raid

The Department of Justice (DOJ) has summoned for reinvestigation the 13 police officers who allegedly figured in a case of drug recycling in Pampanga in 2013.

A panel of prosecutors ordered Police Major Rodney Raymundo Louie Baloyo and 12 others to appear at the department on October 16, 10 a.m.  to submit any additional evidence, according to a subpoena issued Wednesday.

The 13 "ninja cops" were alleged to have misappropriated confiscated dangerous drugs, planted evidence, and violated the provision of the dangerous drugs law on custody and disposition of seized drugs.

All the complaints, filed by the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) in 2013, have since been dismissed.

Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra said last week that the case was up for automatic review. He ordered a reinvestigation earlier this week.

The CIDG complaint was filed in connection with a buy-bust operation in Pampanga in November 2013 in which the 13 police officers allegedly seized some 200 kilograms of shabu but claimed they seized only 36.

Then CIDG chief and now Baguio City Mayor Benjamin Magalong said their investigation found that illegal drugs became rampant in Pampanga after the incident.

PNP chief Oscar Albayalde was acting police director of Pampanga at the time.

Aside from Baloyo, the DOJ issued a subpoena to Senior Inspector Joven De Guzman, Jr., Senior Police Officers 1 Donald Roque, Ronald Santos, Rommel Vital, Alcindor Tinio, Eligio Valeroso, Police Officers 3 Dindo Dizon, Gilbert De Vera, Encarnacion Guerrero, Jr., Dante Dizon, and Police Officer 2 Anthony Lacsamana.

They were initially ordered dismissed in 2014 but were only demoted by one rank in 2016. They were identified in the DOJ subpoena by their old ranks. —NB, GMA News