DAVAO CITY – Even if the anti-illegal drug campaign is already off its back, the Philippine National Police (PNP) will continue to probe possible links of the so-called ninja to riding-in-tandem criminals or groups out to sabotage the government’s war on drugs.
This was revealed Thursday by PNP Chief Director General Ronald dela Rosa, who said the police will continue to find solution to the killing of people allegedly involved in hard drugs peddling.
Dela Rosa said personalities involved in riding-in-tandem killings are assets of the ninja cops or police officers involved in drugs.
“If this will be validated we will take appropriate actions,” he said.
In a press conference during the launch of the PNP-Petron Lakbay Ligtas project in Maa, Davao City, Dela Rosa said the police already has some information but need to be verified and validated.
“Shallow pa hindi pa establish (It’s still shallow not yet establish,” Dela Rosa said.
“It’s still early to tell. It’s still theory,” he added. Now that the anti-illegal drugs operation is off-the-back of the PNP, Dela Rosa said the police have more time to focus on other issues.
He said the riding-in-tandem criminals are wreaking havoc to the public. “We have to find solution to the killings,” he said as he lamented that the activities of the riding-in-tandem are blamed on the police discrediting them and causing demoralization among the police ranks.
In the past months, the PNP already arrested so-called “ninja cops”.
Most of them are anti-drug police officers. Some of them are involved in crimes like kidnapping and robbery extortion. Dela Rosa said some of them are facing cases.
“Yung iba nandito sa Mindanao, sa Crame, sa RPAO – Regional Public Affairs Office (Others are here in Mindanao, in Crame, in RPAO),” dela Rosa revealed. Some, he said are changing for the better.
It may be recalled that President Rodrigo Duterte hinted to some groups sabotaging the anti-illegal drugs to discredit his administration.
The President and the PNP chief have always emphasized that the police do not kill unless the targeted suspects resist and put the lives of the operatives in danger. (Lilian C. Mellejor/PNA)
