MANILA, Philippines- Inamin ni dating Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) chief Wilkins Villanueva nitong Miyerkules na ipinagbigay-alam niya kay dating Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Rodolfo Azurin Jr. na iniimbestigahan din ang superior ni Sergeant Rodolfo Mayo para sa posibleng pagkakasangkot sa drug trade.
Sa pagdinig ng House committee on dangerous drugs, kinumpirma ni Villanueva ang pahayag ni Azurin– na ipinagbigay-alam sa kanya na si Mayo at kanyang superior na si Lt. Col. Arnulfo Ibañez, ay magkasabwat.
Kapwa bahagi sina Mayo at Ibañez ng Philippine National Police Drug Enforcement Group (PDEG) sa Metro Manila.
Naaresto si Mayo ang nakumpiskahan ng halos isang toneladang shabu noong October 2022.
Inihayag ni Villanueva na binabantayan niya ang operasyon na nagresulta sa pagkakaaresto ni Mayo sa Tondo, Manila.
Dahil sa “lack of developments” ilang oras matapos ang buy-bust operation, binigyan na ni Villanueva ng “heads up” si Azurin.
Pag-alala ni Villanueva, “I did not plan to text General Azurin, Sir. But it was almost 9:00 p.m. (but) Nothing has happened in the case of Sergeant Mayo, particularly in the inventory. Because we knew as early as 1:00 p.m. that it was a buy-bust operation. So what does that mean? There is a buy-bust item, and you should do inventory on the place of your buy-bust. That was lost in the story, Sir.”
“In fact, in the first spot report, Sergeant Mayo was not mentioned. So I said, that’s okay. Maybe it would be a direct filing. But when it was almost 9:00 p.m., there was no inventory, and Sergeant Mayo was still outside […] so I decided, ‘Wait. I will text and tell General Azurin that I am monitoring the operation of the 990 (kilograms) and I included that, ‘Wait, Sir. Ibañez is the boss of Mayo,’ because that is what all of our counter-intelligence information stated,” dagdag niya.
“I received a text message from director Wilkins Villanueva informing me, Sir, that Ibañez was the subject of their ongoing operation and that director Villanueva said that they are suspected of recycling and selling confiscated drugs,” sabi naman ni Azurin.
“That’s why when I called up Domingo and inquired on who would accompany Mayo on the follow up operation, Sir, when I was informed that it was Ibanez, my instincts told me that there might be a plan to silence Mayo, Sir. He might be under a set-up,” patuloy niya.
Matapos ang operasyon noong October 8, mayroong usap-usapan na gagamitin si Mayo para ituro ang posibleng mga kasabwat sa pinakamalaking haul ng PNP– 990 kilograms ng shabu na ansabat mula sa lending office ni Mayo.
Subalit sa proseso, nabalot ng kontrobersiya ang nakita sa closed circuit television camera footage na inalis ang posas ni Mayo.
Kalaunan, tinalakay sa pagdinig kung bakit pinayagan si Mayo na maging arresting officer sa follow-up operation sa Pasig City — kahit na nauna na siyang nahuli.
Iniimbestigahan ngayon ng Senado at Kamara ang posibilidad ng pag-recycle sa nasamsam na shabu matapos makita ang ilang police officers na nagkakarga ng ebidensya sa isa pang sasakyan.
Sinabi ni Azurin na nagretiro noong April 2023 na naniwala siya sa tip ni Villanueva dahil hindi niya personal na kilala ang mga operatiba ng PDEG.
“During the validation, we were able to prove that no illegal drugs were obtained from the Pasig operation. A warrant of arrest was implemented against a Juden Francisco, and guns were seized. So that is the reason why I recalled the follow-up operation because of the text message I received from Sir Wilkins,” pagbabahagi ni Azurin.
“It’s the director of PDEA himself who gave the information regarding Ibañez. I do not know every single operative who works for anti-drug operations,” dagdag niya. RNT/SA
