Philippines ‘ninja cop’ scandal threatens to ruin acting police chief Archie Gamboa’s bid for top post

Gamboa has been accused of only suspending the team leader of the disgraced policemen, despite a recommendation for his sacking

The term ‘ninja cops’ refers to 13 officers accused of stealing and reselling drugs seized in a bust, among other crimes

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From left: The Philippine National Police’s Guillermo Eleazar, acting police chief Archie Gamboa, former chief Oscar Albayalde, and Camilo Cascolan. Photo: AP

Published: 9:00am, 23 Oct 2019Updated: 10:23am, 23 Oct 2019

Fallout from the “ninja cops” scandal, which forced the resignation of Philippine National Police (PNP) director general Oscar Albayalde, is now threatening to ruin acting PNP chief Archie Gamboa’s chances of clinching the top post.

As officer-in-charge until Albayalde’s permanent successor is named by President Rodrigo Duterte next month, Lieutenant General Gamboa has swiftly moved to refurbish the tarnished image of the police force in a bid to get the president’s nod.

On Monday, he directed the Philippine police to file drug and graft charges against Albayalde over the former chief’s alleged role in the ninja cops affair – the 2013 drug bust in Pampanga province by 13 policemen who were later accused of stealing and reselling most of the seized drugs, and freeing the main suspect for a payment of 50 million pesos (US$965,000).

Albayalde – who was the ninja cops’ immediate superior at the time – has been accused by three retired senior police officers of receiving money from the drug sale and protecting the policemen involved from getting sacked.

Gamboa on Monday also announced that upon the recommendation of the police’s internal affairs service (PNP-IAS), he was dismissing three of the 13 ninja cops from service and suspending a fourth, Lieutenant Joven de Guzman Jnr, for 59 days.

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte with then national police chief Oscar Albayalde in 2018. Photo: AFP

However, the acting chief’s statement did not sit well with PNP-IAS head Alfegar Triambulo, who disclosed on national television that the internal affairs decision had actually recommended the sacking of all four policemen – and that Gamboa had rejected the dismissal of de Guzman Jnr, the team leader, who “had actually committed a graver offence”.

The act of one is the act of all, that’s why dismissal was the … recommendation for all

PNP-IAS head Alfegar Triambulo