Pubdate: Fri, 07 Jan 2005
Source: People's Journal (Philippines)
Copyright: 2005 People's Journal
Contact: http://www.journal.com.ph/contactus.asp
Website: http://www.journal.com.ph/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/3381
Author: Alfred Dalizon
Cited: Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency http://www.pdea.gov.ph
Cited: Philippine National Police http://www.pnp.gov.ph
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/find?236 (Corruption - Outside U.S.)
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/af.htm (Asset Forfeiture)

COPS, SOLDIERS, POLITICOS IN DRUGS

COUNTER-INTELLIGENCE agents of the Philippine National Police have been 
ordered to place under surveillance rogue policemen, military men and both 
elected and appointed government officials involved in illegal drug activities.

This was bared yesterday by Deputy Director General Ricardo F. de Leon, 
commander of the PNP Anti-Illegal Drugs Special Operations Task Force.

According to De Leon, the PNP Intelligence Group headed by Chief Supt. 
Ismael R. Rafanan has been ordered by PNP chief Director General Edgar B. 
Aglipay to step up its counter-intelligence operations against rogues in 
uniform and government officials in close coordination with the Philippine 
Drug Enforcement Agency headed by Undersecretary Anselmo S. Avenido Jr.

"We're going after these rogues who are involved in illegal drugs either as 
drug users, drug pushers or drug coddlers. In particular, we will intensify 
the crackdown against policemen who are involved in the so-called hulidap 
or bangketa operations," De Leon said.

A "hulidap" or "bangketa" operation is  a form of extortion involving rogue 
anti-narcotics officers who arrest drug suspects on trumped-up charges and 
threaten to jail them for non-bailable offenses if they do not agree to a 
pay-off.

De Leon said new recruits of the AIDSOTF will be subjected to a thorough 
background check to make sure that they are not involved in illegal drug 
activities.

"There will be a tho-rough counter-intelligence operation here. We want to 
strengthen our counter-intelligence operations to maintain the 
zero-tolerance policy against policemen involved in illegal drugs and in 
the so-called 'bangketa' operations," he said

De Leon said that initially, a seven-man team from the PNP-IG, the Criminal 
Investigation and Detection Group, the Traffic Management Group, the Civil 
Security group, the Aviation Security Group, the Maritime Group, the 
Special Action Force and the Police Security and Protection Office will 
boost the AIDSOTF's manpower capabilities.

"However, in all instances, any drug operations conducted by the Camp 
Crame-based national support units shall be cleared directly with the 
AIDSTOF," he said.

He said the Regional AIDSOTF will continue to address the problem of 
street-pushing. Operations against high-profile targets such as 
transnational drug groups, on the other hand, shall be under the 
supervision of the AIDSOTF central command.

Aglipay reorganized and placed the AIDSOTF under his command anew on New 
Year's Day, saying the reorganization will help the taskforce cover more 
areas with more people on the ground.

Last January 1, Aglipay announced that "AIDSOTF shall   be directly under 
his command with a Task Force Commander - in the person of de Leon - below 
him who shall act as the alter ego of the Chief,PNP  when it comes to 
anti-illegal drug operations."

In his memorandum, Aglipay ordered de Leon to organize an Anti-Money 
Laundering Council Desk under the AIDSOTF Intelligence and Investigation 
Division that will orchestrate financial investigations and asset 
forfeiture actions against transnational and local drug trafficking groups.
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