Ex-police chief Oscar Albayalde, who oversaw Duterte’s drug war, to be charged for corruption in Philippines
- Oscar Albayalde allegedly protected officers accused of failing to account for 163kg of drugs and US$191,000 of seized money
- He has repeatedly denied the corruption charge, which carries a penalty of up to 10 years’ jail
Oscar Albayalde resigned in October after serving as Philippine police chief for more than a year, having presided over an anti-narcotics crackdown that left thousands of drug suspects dead.
The episode that led to his sudden fall cast an unwelcome light on a drug war that is immensely popular with Filipinos, but which has faced international criticism over allegations that police were summarily executing suspects.
The justice department said prosecutors found “probable cause” to charge Albayalde for not punishing officers accused of failing to account for 163 kilograms (359 pounds) of drugs and 9.7 million pesos (US$191,000) seized from a drug raid.
A justice department statement said that 13 other police officers would be charged with drug offences, corruption and taking bribes for their role in the operation in Pampanga province, north of Manila.
Albayalde has repeatedly denied protecting the officers or profiting from the seized drugs.