Loot vows to clear name, as Napolcom probe starts

Retired General Vicente Loot, who is also the incumbent mayor of Daanbantayan town in Cebu province, has vowed to clear his name.

He was one of the five generals President Rodrigo Duterte named on Tuesday as officials allegedly involved in the illegal drug trade.

"Nakapag arrange na ako kanina, at bukas ng hapon 5 o'clock onwards, pupunta ako magre-report ako kay Chief ng PNP aron para humingi ng guidance on how I will be able to present myself, to clear myself. At hihingi ako ng giya pa rin kung paano ako makapunta kay Presidente Duterte dahil may sinabi siya na gusto kaming makita," Loot told GMA News' Jiggy Manicad for GMA News TV's "QRT" on Wednesday morning.

Loot was one of the five police generals named by Duterte for their alleged involvement in the illegal drug trade on Tuesday.

The other generals are Philippine National Police Deputy Director General Marcelo Garbo Jr., PNP Region 6 Director Bernardo Diaz, and QCPD Director Edgardo Tinio.

The mayor of Daanbantayan in Cebu suspects that the charges are part of a black propaganda and is politically motivated, as his wife Maria Luisa was the town's mayor for 15 years.

"Kasi yung ating mga kalaban, alam na alam nila na merong sasabihin ang Presidente one month ago pa. Itong mga sinasabi na 'to, ito pa rin ang sinasabi dati noong ang misis ko pa ang tumatakbo, ako parati ang hinahabol, ako parati ang sinisira. Pinaka easy and convenient excuse is drugs," Loot said.

"Alam naman ng lahat dito na meron kaming negosyo, hanap buhay. Bago ako nag-retire for almost two years, wala po akong unit of command na hinahawakan na merong mandate na manghabol ng illegal drugs or other illegal activities, anti-criminality campaign. Kung hindi ang hinahawakan ko, yung mandato ng opisinang hinahawakan ko ay training so it is very illogical," he added.

He added that for the last seven years, his assignment was with handling an administrative unit.

"Kaya kong i-clear ang pangalan ko dahil may mga instances na- una, wala akong ginawa. Pangalawa, yung mga nandamay sa 'kin, lalo na yung mga white paper, meron nang mga resulta, na-clear na po ako," Loot explained on GMA News TV's "QRT" on Wednesday.

Loot also said he is open to undergo lifestyle checks and cooperate with anti-money laundering probes.

"Hinabol din kami ng kalaban namin sa politika, dinaan nila sa NBI, ni-lifestyle check kami ng NBI, 'di kami pinatawag, pinalabas na lang na inaccuse kami kaagad, dineretso sa Ombudsman, dun kami pinasagot, pero na-dismiss naman ng Ombudsman," the retired police official said.

Meanwhile, the National Police Commission (Napolcom) will only investigate Diaz, Tinio, and Pagdilao as they are the only active officers out of the five named by Duterte.

In a separate interview on "QRT," Napolcom Commissioner Rogelio Casurao said he will finish the investigation within a week.

He said they were already discerning what kind of evidence they'll gather to substantiate and verify the intelligence reports accusing Loot and other police officials as protectors of drug syndicates.

Casurao added that they will make sure their findings are objective and unaffected by any political leanings.

"We are mandated under existing laws to observe all the elements of due process kaya po it's very clear in the Constitution that the PNP is supposed to be civilian in character although national in scope," Casurao said.

"It is predicated by the democratic principle that due process should be observed in the conduct of the investigation over this respondent now," he continued. — Rie Takumi/BAP, GMA News