Dennis Gasgonia

Article (news)

police

Karen De Guzman

ABS-CBN News

<p>MANILA— Twenty-two police officers accused of involvement in the controversial ₱6.7-billion drug haul in Manila in 2022 have been released from detention after a court junked the criminal charges of planting of evidence against them.  </p><p>According to Police Col. Dominador Estrada, chief of staff of the Philippine National Police Headquarters Support Service (PNP-HSS), they received a court order directing the release of the detained police officers following the ruling of Manila Regional Trial Court Branch 175.</p><p>“‘Yung unang 11 is [nakalaya] nung September 17 tapos ‘yung pangalawang 11 is nung 18 kasi may mga kaso pa sila sa other court and then inayos pa nila ‘yung mga bail nila kaya hindi sila kasabay lahat,” Estrada said.</p><p>(The first 11 were were released on September 17 then another 11 on the 18th because they had other pending cases and they had to arrange bail)</p><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display:flex;max-width:550px;width:100%;margin-top:10px;margin-bottom:10px"><iframe id="twitter-widget-0" scrolling="no" frameBorder="0" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="" style="position:static;visibility:visible;width:551px;height:622px;display:block;flex-grow:1" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&amp;embedId=twitter-widget-0&amp;features=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%3D%3D&amp;frame=false&amp;hideCard=false&amp;hideThread=false&amp;id=1968977778352484543&amp;lang=en&amp;origin=https%3A%2F%2Fod2-workbench-web.abs-cbn.com%2F%23%2Fworkspace%2Fmonitoring%3Fitem%3Durn%3Anewsml%3Aod2-workbench-api.abs-cbn.com%3A2025-09-19T12%3A02%3A19.072675%3Aac9ffd73-f957-42ac-a502-0121e5224a34%26action%3Dedit&amp;sessionId=f2dfdaa68e104845128463ff7e1158d29c760044&amp;theme=light&amp;widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&amp;width=550px" data-tweet-id="1968977778352484543"></iframe></div><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charSet="utf-8"></script><div> </div><p>The officers earlier posted bail for charges of delay and bungling of evidence.</p><p>In January this year, arrest warrants were issued against 29 police officers implicated in the drug operation, which led to the seizure of around 990 kilos of shabu from a lending office allegedly linked to Police Master Sergeant Rodolfo Mayo.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/1/20/15-of-29-cops-in-controversial-990-kilo-tondo-drug-bust-now-in-custody-cidg-1625"><strong>15 of 29 cops in controversial 990-kilo Tondo drug bust now in custody: CIDG</strong></a></div><p>Among those cleared was retired Police Brig. Gen. Narciso Domingo, former head of the PNP Drug Enforcement Group.</p><p>Domingo’s lawyer, Atty. Joselito Frial, said the prosecution failed to establish the essential elements of the crime of planting of evidence.</p><p>“You have to note that the supposed victim in the planting of evidence is no less than PMSSG Mayo, who is also a co-accused. That is why PSS Master Sergeant Mayo is not the innocent victim contemplated under the RA 9165 or the Anti-Dangerous Drugs Law,” Frial explained.</p><p>Court records showed that prosecutors later amended the information and excluded Mayo as an accused and instead identified him as the target of the supposed planting.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/1/16/ten-cops-linked-to-the-staged-2022-p6-7-b-drug-haul-surrender-1511"><strong>10 cops linked to ‘staged’ P6.7-billion drug haul surrender</strong></a></div><p>Frial opposed this move, arguing that the case should be dismissed for lack of essential elements.</p><p>“Under the rules, all the elements of the crime charge must be alleged in the criminal information. If one or two of the elements is lacking, there is no point of going to trial,” Frial stressed.</p><p>Domingo remains at large, but his lawyer said he intends to clear his name first before submitting himself to the court’s jurisdiction.</p><p>Meanwhile, Mayo remains detained at Camp Bagong Diwa in Taguig.</p><p>According to Jail Superintendent Jayrex Bustinera, spokesperson of the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP), they have yet to receive any court order for Mayo’s release, noting he still faces two other cases before RTC Branches 44 and 177. </p><p>The PNP and the National Police Commission have yet to comment on the dismissal of the cases.</p>

<p>MANILA— Twenty-two police officers accused of involvement in the controversial ₱6.7-billion drug haul in Manila in 2022 have been released from detention after a local court junked the criminal charges of planting of evidence against them. </p>

MANILA— Twenty-two police officers accused of involvement in the controversial ₱6.7-billion drug haul in Manila in 2022 have been released from detention after a local court junked the criminal charges of planting of evidence against them.

Over 20 cops linked to P6.7-B drug haul released after court dismisses case

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Over 20 cops linked to P6.7-B drug haul released after court dismisses case

Karen De Guzman,

ABS-CBN News

Published Sep 19, 2025 07:28 PM PHT

Read More:

PNP

drug haul

990 kilogram

shabu

operation

Manila

Rodolfo Mayo

Narciso Domingo

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