Remulla: Speed up drug probe
THE PHILIPPINE Justice Secretary on Monday urged state prosecutors to ensure timely results in their probe of officers linked to a cover-up of police involvement in a P6.7-billion drug bust in 2022.
“As the prosecution arm of the government, it is but imperative that we uphold the Rule of Law in the most efficient and expeditious way and at the same time within the bounds of truth, fairness and justice,” Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin C. Remulla said in a statement. “I strongly urge the panel to work closely with the concerned law enforcement agencies and to thoroughly study all pieces of evidence to ensure that there will be no let-up in this case.”
Officers allegedly attempted to cover up the arrest of Sgt. Rodolfo Mayo, Jr., a former intelligence officer of the PNP-Drug Enforcement Group, had been dismissed after police found that the shabu was kept at a lending firm he owned. Mr. Remulla said evidence build-up is “moving swiftly” after the state prosecutors and the Philippine National Police-Criminal Investigation and Detection Group met on Feb. 15 to discuss the case.
The buy-bust operation had yielded 990 kilograms of crystal methamphetamine, known in the Philippines as shabu. — John Victor D. Ordoñez