PNP looking into certain 'Mike Sy' in probe on P6.7-B drug haul

A person identifying himself as "Mike Sy" has reached out to the police to clear his name from alleged involvement in the illegal drug trade, Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Benjamin Acorda Jr. said Monday.

This was after Senator Ronald dela Rosa, in a Senate hearing last month, called on the PNP to arrest a certain "Mike Sy," who he said is involved in the narcotics trade.

"There is one personality na lumulutang na and we are trying to check this because 'yung isa naman, although na mag-volunteer siya na mag-report at sumuko, but it seems his intentions is to clear his name na Mike Sy nga ang pangalan niya pero hindi siya involved sa illegal drug," Acorda said in a press conference in Camp Crame.

(There is one personality who surfaced, and we are trying to check, because it seems his intentions was to clear his name, that his name is Mike Sy but he is not involved in illegal drugs.)

"Mike Sy" is specifically being linked to the October 2022 police operation in Manila that netted P6.7 billion worth of illegal drugs and resulted in the arrest of one police officer, now-dismissed Police Master Sergeant Rodolfo Mayo Jr.

"May mga hinahanap tayong tao, tuloy-tuloy naman po 'yung effort (We are looking for some people, our efforts are ongoing)," Acorda said.

During the May 30 hearing of the Senate Committee on Public Order and Dangerous Drugs, Dela Rosa said someone acquainted with Sy told him that Sy wanted to cooperate in the Senate investigation on the P6.7-billion shabu haul. However, Sy did not show up during the hearing.

In October 2022, Mayo was arrested after authorities confiscated shabu worth P6.7 billion following a series of anti-drug operations in Manila.
Mayo was an intelligence officer in the PNP Drug Enforcement Group (PDEG)

Police officers allegedly pilfered around 42 kilos of shabu from the illegal drugs seized from Mayo. Due to this, 49 PNP officials and personnel would face criminal and administrative charges due to their alleged cover-up of the incident.

On Sunday, Dela Rosa, a former PNP chief, said patrolmen and lieutenants should not be immediately assigned to PDEG to avoid them getting exposed to wrongdoings early in their career.

Acorda, when asked to comment on this, said there are pros and cons in assigning new and experienced officers in PDEG.

"What is important is constant monitoring. Kung kinakailangan magpalitan tayo ng bago nating personnel, dapat tuloy-tuloy ang mentoring natin (If we need to change new personnel, we need continuous monitoring)," he said. —KBK, GMA Integrated News