MANILA – National Intelligence Coordinating Agency (NICA) Director General Ricardo De Leon denied that he and other officials had pressured former and active police officials to testify before the International Criminal Court (ICC) against former President Rodrigo Duterte and Senator Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa.
De Leon issued the statement Thursday after Dela Rosa claimed that he and former Senator Antonio Trillanes IV, in the presence of House Speaker Martin Romualdez and Ako Bicol Rep. Zaldy Co, asked Philippine National Police (PNP) officials to execute affidavits and testify before the ICC, which is investigating the killings in Duterte’s war on drugs.
Trillanes earlier revealed that the incumbent senator and four other former and active police officials, namely, former PNP chief Oscar Albayalde, National Police commissioner Edilberto Leonardo, Police Maj. Gen. Romeo Caramat Jr., and Police Brig. Gen. Eleazar Matta were tagged as suspects in the ICC's drug war investigation.
In a statement, De Leon said he had accompanied Caramat to meet with Romualdez “because he wanted to express his interest to be appointed the next PNP Chief.”
Caramat, according to De Leon, had offered to reveal critical information about Duterte’s drug war in exchange for his appointment as PNP Chief.
“During our conversation, he [Caramat] offered to disclose everything he knew about extrajudicial killings and the drug war, including the list of names targeted for killing, weekly quotas, and the payment process involved in exchange for the top PNP post,” De Leon said.
Romualdez declined Caramat’s proposal and “made it clear that the appointment of the Chief PNP is solely the President’s prerogative and trust, and he has no influence over such decisions.”
“The Speaker also rejected Caramat’s offer to disclose information in exchange for his appointment,” the NICA chief said.
“I also deny the allegation of Sen. Bato dela Rosa that I have discussed with former Chief PNP General Oscar D. Albayalde and PBGen Eleazar P. Matta to testify in the ICC,” he added.
Dela Rosa was a key figure in the former administration’s controversial war on drugs, serving as Duterte’s first PNP chief. (PNA)
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