PNP Director General Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa will give the police generals linked to illegal drugs the chance to clear their names when they report to him as President Rodrigo Duterte ordered.In an interview shortly after Duterte named the active and retired police generals involved in the drug trade, Dela Rosa said he was sad that his upper classmen in the Philippine Military Academy were implicated.
Duterte named police generals Bernardo Diaz, Joel Pagdilao, and Edgar Tinio; and retired generals Marcelo Garbo and Vicente Loot as those involved in illegal drugs.
Dela Rosa, however, said he could not compel Garbo and Loot to meet him because they have already retired.
“I will talk to them and I will listen to their explanation. ‘Yung mga retired na, I cannot compel them to talk to them because they are no longer under my jurisdiction. They are no longer under my command,” Dela Rosa told reporters.
Dela Rosa could not elaborate as to the allegations of President Duterte, saying “all intelligence reports are submitted to him.”
The PNP chief said that while he feels saddened that his upper classmen are being dragged in the campaign against illegal drugs, he stressed that his duty to the Filipino people comes first.
“The President has zero tolerance on drugs...We have a job to do. Masakit man sakin, in as much as I don’t want to hurt my upper classmen, I have a duty before the Filipino people so we have to do this,” Dela Rosa said.
Earlier President Duterte named the individuals as the ones involved in illegal drugs:
Retired Director General Marcelo Garbo Jr.
Former National Capital Region Police Office Chief Joel Pagdilao
Former Quezon City Police District Office Chief Edgardo Tinio
Former Region 11 police chief Bernardo Diaz
Daan Bantayan (Cebu) Mayor Vicente Loot
