CEBU CITY — Philippine National Police (PNP) Director General Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa reiterated on Thursday that Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña is not on the PNP’s list as a drug protector.
“So far, we do not have any evidence linking the mayor to illegal drugs,” dela Rosa said during a press conference for the opening of the 26th Association of Firearms and Ammunition Dealers of the Philippines (AFAD) Defense and Sporting Arms Show at the Cebu Trade Hall of SM City Cebu.
However, the PNP chief said non-inclusion of the mayor’s name on the list does not necessarily mean that Osmeña is not involved in illegal drug activity.
He said the only information the PNP has against the mayor is the statement of Department of Justice (DOJ) witness Reynaldo “Jumbo” Diaz, who alleged that Osmeña received a total of PHP7 million from his late drug lord cousin Jeffrey “Jaguar” Diaz.
Dela Rosa said they could not investigate the matter yet as they have not received any report confirming the allegation.
“We cannot do anything for now,” he said. “The allegation must first be thoroughly validated and corroborated before we can act on it.”
The PNP chief said the DOJ could, however, order the National Bureau of Investigation in Central Visayas to make further investigation on the mayor.
Meanwhile, dela Rosa said he fully supports the plan to release the names of barangay election candidates suspected of having links to illegal drug operations.
He said there is nothing wrong about it as the electorate has the right to know the kind of people they are going to vote for in the May 14 Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan polls.
The PNP chief was accompanied by Police Regional Office 7 (Central Visauas) Chief Supt. Robert Quenery at the ribbon-cutting and opening ceremonies of the four-day firearms expo. (PNA)
